Curristan: Origins
by AdamH312
Summary: Curristan, a Time Lord in his First Incarnation is a Member of the Celestial Intervention Agency and ally of Co-Ordinator Romana. However the approaching Time War is something he wishes to avoid. Torn between loyalty to Gallifrey and the yearning to explore the Universe, will he manage to achieve his dreams or will he fall into the coming storm? (OC plus other characters)
1. Curristan & the CIA

**In the Time Vortex…**

" _Oh great things never seem to go to plan do they?"_ Curristan looked up from the console and closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again. His work for the Celestial Intervention Agency meant a Type 70 TARDIS had been assigned to him and admittedly he was still getting used to operating it. He had however made himself focus more on the mission given to him by the High Council on Gallifrey which in the overall picture was important. He had hoped he would reach Caliphor at the right time and land in the capital where he needed to meet the Caliphoran representatives.

The planet was under threat by the Dalek advance in the sector. The Time Lords had seen an opportunity to gain allies and Curristan had been sent to visit and gather information. Moving his hands around the console, he had made sure that the materialisation on the planet surface would be as smooth as possible. Seconds later, the time column suddenly stops. _"Well looks like we have arrived."_ Making sure he was suitably presented, he operated the door release mechanism and stepped out into the arrival chamber.

" _Welcome to Caliphor and I hope this visit is a success, I am Jakis Namai."_ chimed the lead representative. Curristan nodded and replied _"I hope that we can negotiate the conditions for Time Lord help for your planet."_ Representative Namai bowed _. "I appreciate you being sent here, times are very bad at the moment, Dalek scout ships have been seen probing the edge of our system. Time is of the essence. Please follow me to the meeting area."_ Curristan nodded then began to follow Representative Jakai, silently humming to himself. There was much to discuss.

 **Caliphor**

 **Five Hours later**

Curristan emerged from the meeting after some intense negotiations. Representative Namai had been most insistent that they need Time Lord help. After saying goodbye to the Caliphorians he had returned to his TARDIS and informed Gallifrey of details of the meeting. There was to be a more high level delegation arriving the next day, with Curristan to return home.

Curristan had however stayed to sample some of the local cuisine, before returning to where his TARDIS was parked. _"Looks like its time to go home, Its been nice to get out into the universe."_ he sighed. As he set the ship for take-off he wondered if he could one day be able to do what The Doctor does, travel and see the universe. _"Oh well maybe one day I could"_ he mused as he set the TARDIS in motion.

As the Time Lord delegation had left Gallifrey, outside the Caliphoran system there was massive Dalek activity. Assault ships had began to assemble in large numbers, at the present moment numbering two thousand ships. Scout ships had been continuing to scan the system's outer defences, pinpointing the weak spots.

On Caliphor itself, there was increasing activity. Curristan's departure and the imminent Time Lord delegation's visit had spurred the government into action. Massive military call ups had begun and their fleets had been deployed around the planet, though no ships were allowed out to the fringes of the system.

As the Time Lord delegation arrived, preparations for possible Dalek invasion were now complete.

 **Twenty Hours later relative time**

Curristan had arrived back at the Capitol on Gallifrey. He was to report to the Celestial Intervention Agency and Co-Ordinator Romana. As he walked back, he could see that the populace were quite afraid, with announcements being played in loudspeakers. Reaching the Celestial Intervention Agency, he was quickly called in and was in a few minutes in front of Romana.

" _Well Agent Curristan it looks like your first mission has been a success. The delegation which arrived an hour ago on Caliphor will continue what you had started left just after you arrived back. The effort to aid the Caliphorians will now continue apace. I hope you are getting used to your Type 70 TARDIS?"_

" _Yes Co-ordinator, it was a bumpy ride going but I was more confident coming home. The Caliphorians were very welcoming and very concerned. I hope my report on their concerns was detailed enough for you to make a decision."_

Romana smiled. _"Yes Agent Curristan. I am pleased with your efforts. Now I must ask you to do another mission. This will be one much more dangerous than the last. You must recover vital data from a now abandoned outpost in the Lariga System. We don't know what the data contains but intelligence has pointed to it being a map of hyperspace routes including several anomalies which could be temporal tears. This mission is vitally important."_

" _Co-Ordinator I am ready to leave for the Lariga System immediately. I am glad the Dalek Empire has yet to consider this system strategically important. I hope I can get in and get out before any scout ships arrive. Luckily a Type 70 has Time Torpedoes but I would rather not use them. I don't like using violence, I would prefer to use my mind and wits."_

" _Well said Agent Curristan! I am reminded of my good friend The Doctor by those words. I am sure that you will succeed in this mission. I have seen good progress in your career so far and I know that you have a promising future here at the Celestial Intervention Agency."_

" _Thank you Co-Ordinator. I will recover the data as soon as possible and bring it back to you. If you wish I can leave immediately. Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to assist."_

Romana nodded and handed over a data pad. _"Okay Agent here are the details and good luck."_

Back on board the TARDIS Curristan quickly scanned through the files on the data pad given to him. The facility according to intelligence sources was at the edge of the Lariga System. It had minimum defences and there was were some low tech habitable planets further towards the centre of the system. There was a small chance of Dalek interference, but the risk of the mission was outweighed by the fact that the data was deemed vital to the Time Lords.

Curristan sighed. _"Right, lets get this over and done with. I am sure that this is a wild goose chase but I wont question Co-Ordinator Romana."_ Moving his hands over the controls, the TARDIS filled with the noise of dematerialisation.

" _It's time for some Earl Grey tea I think."_ Moving to the galley, he immediately made busy making a snack as well as tea. This was a thing he did to keep a sense of normality. Being alone did leave yourself to your thoughts. Luckily he had made a secret stop on Earth to stock human food and drink, due to his distaste of dried food and pills that were stocked and consumed on Gallifrey.

Sitting in his chair in the study, he contemplated the mission. He had many doubts about what was to come. He wanted to see the universe since he was young, even happily listening to stories about The Doctor. However as he entered the Celestial Intervention Agency he had committed to helping Gallifrey.

There was already a plan in his mind to escape, but he was sure that he would be caught and punished. He hoped that a new solution to his problem would present itself. He somehow could feel that the coming war would be the worst ever faced in Time Lord history. However he would do his best to assist before he would execute his plan.

Earth was the obvious choice to escape to. However he would not want to bring any trouble to that world, he wanted to just stay and sit the war out. This mission was to come first though. Maybe he could find another way, maybe not.

By the time he had finished his musings the TARDIS had travelled almost within range of the system. Curristan returning to the Console Room looked at the scanner with determination. So far there was no contacts within scanner range. As Curristan began the materialisation process, he mentally steeled himself for what is what to come. _"Here we go."_

Entering the Lariga System, the TARDIS shuddered to a halt just short of the facility. Curristan had decided to not materialise immediately inside the facility, preferring to scan the facility again before making a final approach. The scan proving clear, he began the final approach.

 **Lariga Facility**

 **Main Control Room**

The echo of materialisation echoed throughout the room as the TARDIS arrived. Looking around after exiting, Curristan could see the facility was a mess. The signs pointed to a hasty evacuation, from what he could not know. Cautiously he looked for some way of getting the power back on, listening at the same time for any noise.

After around a minute of searching he found the console and began to work quickly. He noticed several scorch marks around the room, signifying a firefight of some kind had happened. Getting the power finally on he began to search. Picking up a fallen Staser off the ground he moved on, but then suddenly an ominous humming filled the corridor.

" _REPORT STATUS!"_ barked a foreboding voice.

Curristan sighed in annoyance. _"Great. Daleks. Looks like the CIA intelligence was wrong again, they got here first..."_

" _FACILITY SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN BREACHED BY A TARDIS, INTRUDER STILL AT LARGE!"_ came a reply.

" _SEEK, LOCATE AND EXTERMINATE THE TIME LORD. THIS FACILITY WILL SOON BE OURS!"_

" _I OBEY!"_

Curristan shifted slightly back to give no chance of the Daleks spotting him. However he would need a way to get past. The facility did have a self destruct mechanism but the data retrieval came first. Then he would use it to get rid of any chance of the Daleks taking the facility over. However suddenly the two Daleks passed into the control room just off where the data was supposed to be stored, plus in between Curristan and where the TARDIS was.

" _Oh no. They are close by. Also I am cut off from the TARDIS and my escape.. Now what?"_


	2. Skirmish at Lariga Facility & Aftermath

**STORY NOTE**

From now on any dialogue taken from any BBC TV Story or Big Finish Audio Story will be displayed _Like This._

This is to hint at certain canon events taking place parallel to the story and establish timeline points for ease of following the story.

 **COCOCOCOCOCOCO**

Curristan sat their for a moment and began to consider his options. A Staser had no chance of penetrating a Dalek casing. The immediate area seemed to have no weapons of any kind, nor was there any chance of getting past without alerting the Daleks. However he wouldn't panic, besides what would that do?

" _Right lets think. Things may seem dire but I am sure there is a way to get out of here. I don't really want to die at Two Hundred and Eighteen though. Plus I still didn't get that vintage wine I found yet from Earth. Now I definitely need to stay alive to get that."_ Curristan smirked to himself. ' _Right lets do this.'_

Waiting until the two Daleks had crossed into another hallway, he moved silently round into the control room. He knew that one wrong movement or unintentional noise would spell the end of his life. Ducking down he quickly crawled up to the panel he was looking for and activated the holodisk release mechanism. The holodisk was immediately removed and it slipped out into Curristan's hand.

" _Okay now time to get out of here. But first time to spring the surprise."_

Moving to the main panel he began to work fast to find the self destruct mechanism protocols. Luckily due to his training in overriding security systems he made quick work of the encryption, which to him was decidedly shoddy for a supposed secure facility. He then activated the countdown, though he made sure he disabled any alert announcements to avoid tipping off the Daleks. However he noticed suddenly one of the Daleks approaching from behind spotting him.

" _ALERT TIMELORD DETECTED! EXTERMINATE!"_

The Dalek immediately fired its gunstick, just as Curristan turned and began to drop to crouch and aim his Staser. Luckily the Dalek's aim was just off, destroying the control panel and effectively preventing the self destruct mechanism from being disabled. Curristan immediately fired at the Dalek's eye stalk. The shot impacted it dead on and immediately the Dalek panicked.

" _I CANNOT SEE VISION IS IMPARED I CANNOT SEE!"_

Curristan ran for the door, dropping again to the floor as the Dalek fired a second time blindly. Luck was on his side however. The second Dalek responding to the other's cries for help had moved in the path of the shot as it entered the room. The Dalek abruptly exploded scattering pieces of its casing everywhere, punctuated by the creature inside screaming it's death throes. Curristan immediately bolted towards the TARDIS as the surviving Dalek continued to scream in confusion.

Quickly entering the console room Curristan began working on the console at a frantic pace, the TARDIS beginning to materialise just as the the facility began to explode. The explosion was powerful enough to create a significant shockwave, catching several nearby Dalek ship unawares and tearing them apart. Meanwhile the TARDIS had managed to enter the Time Vortex and was unaffected by the cataclysmic event.

Slumped in relief on the console, he began to catch his breath. That had been his first face to face encounter with the Daleks and he was sure that it wouldn't be the last. His clothes and face felt soaked in sweat from exertion and fear, with any illusions about facing the Daleks now gone. He made his way to a bathroom and looked in the mirror.

His short brown hair with fringe had been a new haircut after he had experimented with several styles. His friendly green eyes and usually seeming to be smiling mouth had always given a pleasant aura about him. However the recent event on Lariga Facility had added several worry lines to his face, with his usual happy expression replaced with one of pensive contemplation.

After spending a few minutes cleaning up he returned to the console room. Gallifrey needed the data and fast, the news of the Dalek attempt to capture the facility needed to be relayed. The TARDIS seemed comfortable to have Curristan as its pilot. For the first time it wasn't shaking all over the place and there was a soothing humming mixed with the sound of the time rotor. Pilot and vessel were now getting to understand one another.

 **Meanwhile on Gallifrey...**

 _*Door opens*_

" _Deputy Co-Ordinator."_

" _I don't think I will ever get used to being called that. Yes Agent Karla what is it?"_

" _The security drone that went offline.."_

" _Yes?"_

" _We've re-established contact."_

" _That's excellent news! Co-Ordinator Romana will be pleased."_

" _But that's not all sir."_

" _Go on."_

" _It seems to have drifted off course, ended up flying over the Lune Forest.."_

 **Back on the TARDIS**

" _Well it looks like I am nearly home again. I will first wash up when I get back and then I can get back to my project. However I need to find something to make it self repairing...i wonder where I could find something like that."_

Suddenly as the TARDIS began to materialise over Gallifrey, a lifeform suddenly registered on the scanner seeming to originate in the Arcadian Desert. Piquing his interest, Curristan began setting a course for that area. It registered similar to a TARDIS, but it seemed too small. It didn't hurt to take a look, Romana could wait a few minutes longer. Also he would materialise around the object to protect it just in case someone was aboard or it had some sentience.

As the object appeared inside, Curristan went to work analysing what it was. After a few minutes he had worked it was a dead/stunted TARDIS that didn't grow properly. Immediately he knew that the self aware nature of it would be useful, plus he would save the poor thing from dying where it had certainly been dumped. He would keep it safe in a sterile laboratory in the TARDIS while he spoke with Romana and delivered his report. He would come back afterwards as it had began to telepathically speak to him, offering its help in the project. Looks like cleaning up will have to wait...

 **Celestial Intervention Agency Headquarters**

Curristan had just arrived at Romana's office and had made aware his presence by pressing the intercom when her voice suddenly came through the panel. _"Come in!"_

Passing through the threshold he took note of Romana's angry demeanour. Deciding not to press any further he sat down when asked and then went through the debriefing of his actions on Lariga Facility. After a while Romana let out a huge sigh. _"It looks like we were too late, but at least the facility is no longer able to be used. You did well again Curristan."_

" _Thank you Co-Ordinator."_

" _Please call me Romana, I see you as a good friend and you have earned my trust and the right to use my name."_

Curristan grinned. _"Thank you Romana. May I be bold and ask for three days leave to rest and make repairs to my TARDIS, that escape from the facility damaged a couple components and may have slightly damaged my Dynamorphic Generator"_

" _That's okay after what you have just been through a rest is definitely deserved. I will give you two weeks just to be sure you get a suitable rest. I have things with deal with the War Council so I will be busy. Use the free time wisely cause I fear in the future that time between missions will become a luxury."_

" _Thank you Romana I appreciate this a lot. I hope your business with the War Council goes well."_

" _Thank you so do I."_

Curristan then rose and smiled at Romana who reciprocated before he turned and made his way back to his TARDIS.

Back in his TARDIS he continued with his project. He continued to make great progress over six days, finally making a workable prototype using part of the found TARDIS matrix consciousness and aspects of time manipulation to make it repair itself when it breaks. The remainder of the consciousness was to be kept for future use, making sure it was sustained by his TARDIS. He had then sent it to a trusted friend in the patent office in the Capitol so to get it certified for mass production. He hoped that it would be popular if sold.

He would now aim to spend the remaining days making the necessary repairs to the TARDIS, knowing that the Time War was now imminent and he was expected to take part. However events on Gallifrey were now moving fast. The Warprights incident of the destruction of Phaidon had occurred which had meant he had seen them now moving onto Gallifrey as part of the asylum agreement. This was a sure sign that the war was now closer than he previously thought. The population seemed to be on edge, which was threatening a general panic.

The only personal bright spot was on the next day as his "Self Repairing Alarm Clock" being accepted for mass production and general use. He knew that he had been luckily having a friends in the right places, with them receiving gifts in return for their help. His generosity was well known, they he could be serious when need be.

However he had work to do which he tackled with his usual enthusiasm. He had managed to do some small damage to his TARDIS which he methodically began to repair. Luckily he had stored spare parts just for this eventuality, which he would replace in turn before his next mission. He had also send a requisition form so to also stockpile some, just in case in the future spare parts became hard to source. He also began to learn as much as he can, knowing that being able patch repair it while off Gallifrey would be very useful.

A few days later, he received the parts he had ordered, which was another thing struck of the list of mundane but important things to be done. He wished he could do more fun things. But the worsening security situation meant that most recreational things had been either halted or severely restricted. He wasn't worried though. He was determined to be ready for anything.

But for now he was determined to enjoy the rest as soon he would be back in the fray.


	3. Curristan enters the Time War

The sound of his alarm clock which ironically was his own creation had woke him that morning and he had already regretted making it. However he took comfort in the fact that he would more than enough off its sales to offset that small annoyance. The day was spent mainly making sure he had repaired the Dynamorphic Generator correctly, plus allowing enough time to vote in the surprise Presidential Election which he had been surprised Romana had put herself forward for.

He also built his own Sonic Screwdriver. He had got the idea from stories told to him by Romana about her adventures with the Doctor. It was twelve inches long metal, painted black and had a two inch bulbous green tip with two pincers either side. He had used it for the first time in the TARDIS repairs, making several adjustments to it with Romana's help while she had waited for the election results.

However the events that followed the results had surprised Curristan. Rassilon being resurrected in place of the winner General Valerian who had incidentally been in the House of Rassilon had been something he had not expected. He would keep an open mind on what this development would bring seeing Rassilon's famous and celebrated contributions to Time Lord Society. If he had been resurrected then the situation had to be dire.

His last few days of relaxation went quietly, with him confining himself to the TARDIS to avoid being asked about his opinion on recent events. He was very concerned that he would soon have to undertake another dangerous mission with again hardly any credible intelligence. He did have faith in Romana and her friendship which meant a lot to him.

Knowing he may soon be unable to return to Gallifrey for some time, he visited some old friends from his Academy days to catch up and socialise. It felt weird to see them again but also was a welcome wave of nostalgia. He knew some of them cause of their qualifications were to be called up to serve as part of a new Battle TARDIS squadron. He knew that he would rather be doing what he did secretly rather than face the Daleks head on in open warfare like they would most likely doing. They parted on good terms and hoped to see each other again, war notwithstanding.

 **Celestial Intervention Agency**

" _Welcome back Curristan. Its time to begin our intelligence war against the Daleks."_

" _Thank you Romana. I have sorted my affairs on Gallifrey so if I am away for some time there is no issue."_

" _That is great to hear. Your assignment will indeed keep you away for some time. You are to harry Dalek intelligence sources and prevent Time Lord facilities and therefore their secrets from falling into enemy hands. You have been given this mission due to your exemplary efforts at Lariga Facility."_

" _I understand. I am ready to go when you need me to go. I am determined to assist in any way possible. Is this a communications silence mission or will you require regular subspace communications?"_

 _"No this is a secret mission of the highest order. Do what you can and when we need you back it will be us that break communications silence. I have the highest opinion of you and I know that you will make a great contribution. You are a great friend and I hope to return safe."_

" _Thank you Romana. You have been a great friend and I hope that the war goes well for us. I hope the Doctor comes and helps us eventually."_

" _Me too Curristan. At the moment he seems to only help where he feels best. If you run into him somehow on your travels give him my best."_

Romana then held out her hand and Curristan grasped it briefly before moving towards the exit. Before he reached it he paused. _"See you soon, good luck."_ He then exited the room, Romana looking sadly at his retreating back. _"There goes one of my finest agents. Lets hope he survives this."_

Dematerialising from Gallifrey, Curristan began what would be his first trip out into the heart of the Time War. He had made sure that he had left undetected as instructed. His mission was top secret and of the utmost importance. He had free reign over where he went but he had to keep scanning for any Time Lord facility that had ceased transmission and deemed having a look at. Randomising the navigation system co-ordinates, he allowed the TARDIS to fly towards the last known battle zone.

A few hours later the TARDIS had materialised in the Jatriea System right in the middle of a ship graveyard. After an initial scan, it looked like a Dalek fleet had been totally smashed. Many ships continued to burn and many were falling to the nearby planetoid. Luckily the system seemed in this sector to be completely free of any habited worlds. He could not tell though if any had been destroyed by the temporal distortions emitted by the detonation of the temporal weapon which he had yet to identify.

" _Hmm looks like these ships had a number done on them. No life-signs on the scanner. I don't want to materialise on one of those vessels, even injured Daleks are dangerous. Ohhh what's this?"_ Pressing some buttons to adjust the scanner he realised what he was looking at. Out just beyond the wreckages, there seemed to be some sort of disturbance ahead.

" _Hmm looks like a temporal rift. Unfortunately it looks like the cause of it was caught in it and was obliterated when the subspace tear was formed. Hm. Looks like its safe to approach, I think it could also be traversed. But that's not important now as it seems to be closing. Anyway looks like there is no Time Lord tech here for me to salvage. However I am not sure what has really happened, the temporal distortions are causing the readings to fluctuate wildly."_

He continued to scan to gather information about this new rift. Luckily due to it closing there would be no tactical advantage to be gained by the Daleks. However the potential possibility of a new temporal weapon was most alarming. If one was detonated in a habitable system, the number of casualties would be beyond counting.

As the scans continued Curristan took a well earned rest. He knew that the next few hours needed him at peak performance. While he slept, the data rolled into the TARDIS data banks. When he awoke, the scan had been completed and he could now move on.

Arriving at the next location, the TARDIS had materialised within an asteroid field. Curristan had been scanning when suddenly he was distracted by a beeping on the console. Checking what it was, he could see something at the edge of the system. Guessing it was a hidden facility, he set a course to see what was happening. Arriving inside the facility, he noticed that power had been cut but oxygen levels were holding.

" _Right lets have a look, I am sure that I can find out what's happened."_ Exiting the TARDIS he took out his sonic screwdriver and began to scan. After a few seconds he checked it. _"Well, no lifeforms are here. Least that's assured me there is no danger, wasn't going to risk it after last time..."_ Roaming a little around the main area of the facility, he found that there had been no evidence of a fight, though most of the equipment had been removed.

But he knew that he couldn't just leave it at that. He wasn't naïve enough to not search the area thoroughly first. His training had kicked in and he was now moving slowly through the flickering lights room by room. Finding some data disks he stopped to first check them on the main computer.

This disks were mainly intelligence reports on Dalek build ups in the nearby Kartikaya System. It seemed that the system had many vital resources including planets that could be used to grow more Battle TARDISes and also deploy fleets into that region. It also charted known Dalek fleet locations and the timing of the projected battle.

Realising that it was pretty much happening right now, Curristan began to speed up the search of the facility. If he could make a difference in the battle and also gain more intelligence then he was all for it. Gathering all the data he had found in the facility, he set the base to destroy itself and dematerialised on to the Kartikaya System.

After such a boring start Curristan began making his way towards what was still an active battle in the Kartikaya System. As he arrived, he could see the Time Lord's Battle TARDISes and the Dalek warships firing at each other. Deciding to manoeuvre into a firing position, he waited as a Battle TARDIS passed him. As it passed he fired a single Time Torpedo at a Dalek ship before dematerialising to a location further back. The shockwave of an explosion signified a hit, with a message suddenly appearing on the console screen: 

_**Thank you unidentified TARDIS. Stay back your TARDIS will not be able to withstand this battle. Move to these co-ordinates.**_

Curristan send a reply acknowledging the message before setting the TARDIS to travel to what he guessed as the nearby Time Lord outpost. He would make contact and use his credentials to gather what intelligence they had so to assist.

 **Time Lord Base**

 **Kartikaya Prime**

The TARDIS arrival was met by the local commander. Waiting until Curristan had left the TARDIS he spoke:

" _Welcome fellow Time Lord I am General Garrick. What brings you to this system?"_

 _My name is Agent Curristan of the Celestial Intervention Agency. I am on a mission on behalf of the Agency to help prevent any Time Lord facilities falling into enemy hands. I got drawn to the battle by accident and I managed to save one of our Battle TARDISes from a Dalek ship. I hope my presence isn't a problem?"_

" _Of course not. I am willing to give a complete rundown of intelligence we have of local facilities that we have potentially lost and general data. I hope you can make use of it as some have technology we need to keep out of the Dalek's reach. I know you will do all you can to assist. Communications are down at the moment due to subspace jamming, but soon we will have restored them. At least your mission can continue better using that data."_

" _Thank you very much General. I am most grateful for this. I hope that the battle continues to go in your favour. I have delayed you long enough. Good luck."_

After shaking hands Curristan re-entered the TARDIS and dematerialised to the first facility on the list.


	4. The List

**Curristan's TARDIS**

" _Ah this is quite a list they gave me. Looks like eight facilities with varying purposes and levels of defences. I guarantee they all have suffered one cruel fate or another. This will be a perfect time to start using the Chameleon Circuit. I have to remain undetected or this mission will fail. Oh well here we go."_

 **Time Lord Observational Facility**

 **Galaxy 437UD**

The TARDIS materialised into being in a docking bay. Curristan had a few moments before materialisation had operated the Chameleon Circuit, turning the exterior into a medical shuttle craft. Quickly checking the outside atmosphere he made a note of the conditions. _"Hm looks like the air is normal. Probably stale due to the base being inoperative for a while but that's expected. Ah some small life-sign reading. Its not Time Lord so it means hostiles. Taking my Staser with me as I cant take any chances."_

Curristan slowly opened the door, making sure he was undetected. Each landing was always going to be dangerous as he would not know each time who would be waiting. However this time he was lucky. Moving slowly into the darkness, he made his way towards the control room. He hoped to catch them unawares but he was willing to kill if it came to it. Coming to a doorway he found some drone type robots trying to break into a sealed room off the one he was outside.

He immediately jumped into cover first as he realised they were armed. _"Right looks like trouble. I suppose I better deal with this rabble before I move in."_ Taking his sonic screwdriver and adjusting the settings for a disabling sonic pulse he made sure he hadn't been spotted. He only had one chance at this and he wouldn't get a second chance as the drones guns were similar to Dalek gunsticks which betrayed their origin.

He then leaned out and activated the Sonic Screwdriver. Immediately the drones convulsed before beginning to emit sparks and popping sounds, as their circuits began to fry from the pulse's effects. Suddenly they exploded and went limp emitting a small amount of smoke. After waiting a few seconds for any sort of movement from the drones he stepped out.

" _Phew that went well. I am glad the screwdriver actually works. Now lets see if there are any residual signals coming to them, I can then track the source of the transmissions and triangulate the Dalek relay station."_ Waving the Sonic Screwdriver back and forth scanning the drones, he found that all functions had ceased. _"Pity. I see the Daleks were thorough in keeping their location hidden. Maybe they had just left them there to gather intelligence and then report back...well that doesn't matter now I stopped them. Moving on."_

He moved to the door the drones were trying to break through and focused his attention on the door control panel. Using the Sonic Screwdriver a third time he would use it to short circuit it releasing the door. After several seconds the panel finally emitted a small shower of sparks before the door finally slid open. Stepping through, he found that he was in a small laboratory with several which looked to be terminals of Gallifreyan origin.

" _Well I found the right place. Looks a mess though. I must act quickly as the Daleks would of known what I just did."_ Walking slowly among the equipment, he worked out which things were good enough to salvage. After a couple minutes he found something interesting. Looking at it curiously, he realised that it was an experimental weapon system which he had yet to figure out what.

" _Right time to go. I think the Daleks will come sooner or later to finish what they started. I better pre-empt it and move on."_ Accessing the main console, he began to erase the data on the mainframe to make sure it wasn't compromised. Then a flourish of his Sonic Screwdriver rendered the console useless with a loud bang and sparks. He then walked over to the power supply cabinet and began to reverse its polarity to cause a massive feedback. The feedback that would result would cause a large enough power surge to destroy the base.

Task done, he returned to the TARDIS and continued his mission. Back on the base the power began to climb rapidly causing a cascade, destroying everything with an electronic power source. Then as it reached its peak, the main generator exploded. The resulting fireball consumed everything and the base began to burn. Nothing was going to be salvaged there.

 **Curristan's TARDIS**

 **Narega System**

Curristan watched the scanner as he put the TARDIS to just drift towards his target. He noticed that there were a lot of signatures here. This was a problem as for the moment he could not identify who there were. Luckily they were nowhere near where he needed to go. Also there were temporal distortions present which would aid in his approach. But they could detect him if he tried to do it too quickly. He had primed the controls but was waiting for the right moment to do a short jump into the facility.

Then suddenly he watched as the half of the signatures closest suddenly began a warp jump out of the system. _"Oh that was a lucky break..."_ he mused. _"I didn't expect that to happen. Looks like the ones who remained are focused on something else. Their readings aren't clear but I cant really wait as they come here. I don't know if they even know the facility is here being on this tiny planetoid." Well lets go in, I wont take long."_ He then pulled the Helmic Regulator, starting the final approach to the facility.

As the TARDIS materialised, Curristan began to set the controls in preparation for his escape. The situation was critical due to the proximity of the unknown fleet. He hoped that he could do this before they noticed the artron energy and temporal wake from the TARDIS. Slipping out into darkness, he slowly walked through the corridors. It was unsettling due to the silence that seemed to seep through the facility.

Suddenly without warning, the sounds of battle echoed around the facility, with the sound of exploding vessels reach Curristan's ears. _"Oh great looks like something is now happening. But this will keep eyes off this facility and me."_ Rapidly speeding his search, he could see that he couldn't find anything. Frustrated and out of options, he began to think of a plan. He could sabotage the base again, but he couldn't find anything to use.

Then he hit on something. _"Oh yes, I could magnetise the base' and draw a weapon discharge or torpedo towards it and destroy it that way. The resulting blast will penetrate the deactivated shields and destroy the planetoid. Ah yes Curristan you are a genius!"_ Keeping one eye on the base's scanners to monitor the battle he began to work on magnetising the outer shell of the base using a nearby console.

Meanwhile outside the battle was chaotic and causing major damage to the system. The fleet near the facility was in fact a small Dalek squadron which had been resting. Just after some of the ships had left to another vital battle zone, a fleet of Battle TARDISes caught the remaining ones by surprise. The Daleks were taken by surprise as their sensors could not detect them. This was due to the temporal distortions affecting their sensors and they had been on rest cycles. The Battle TARDISes' initial undetected attack caused several to explode from Time Torpedo strikes. The battle had then devolved into a massive melee with neither side gaining advantage.

This was however an advantage for Curristan who continued to work on the magnetising of the base. He was struggling however as the security subroutines were still active, preventing him gaining top level access. " _Hmm the Time Lord security protocols are quite tough here. I didn't expect these to be active on such an abandoned base. Never mind I will get through these stumbling blocks eventually. Luckily that battle is distracting attention away from me. Those temporal distortions are also very handy as they prevent any scans being made here. Once the base becomes magnetised however the Daleks will figure out something's up."_

After three more minutes of trying, he finally got through the last layer of security. Now his effort moved to the main plan. Suddenly he noticed a disturbance as errant weapon discharges exploded nearby, destroying nearby planetoids. A sudden sense of panic erupted in Curristan's mind, blinding him from the task. Steeling himself he began to scold himself. _"Dammit no time to panic, need to concentrate better on getting the magnetisation operational. Worry about the battle after this is done."_ Using all his willpower, he quelled the fear and finally he could work effectively.

With his mind clear, it didn't take much longer for a hum to fill the air as the outer shell began to fill with magnetisation fuelled by diverted from the now overloading generator banks. Working feverishly Curristan completed the last step and locked the console. He then stood up and proceeded to bash the console controls with a handy nearby lump of pipe. _"Right that will make it very much impossible to override this."_ As he quickly ran back to his TARDIS, just as the magnetisation reached the battle.

On board the Dalek flagship there was confusion and panic:

" _EMERGENCY. EMERGENCY. SENSORS INDICATE MAGNETISATION DISTORTION ORIGINATING FROM NEARBY PLANETOID."_

" _IDENTITY OF SOURCE CONFIRMED. SEND VESSEL TO INVESTIGATE. EXTERMINATE ANY LIFEFORMS IN THAT AREA!"_

" _I OBEY!"_

Curristan rushed into the TARDIS, just managing to dematerialise as the Dalek ship sent to investigate arrived and docked at the cargo bay he had arrived in. The door exploded inwards just as the sound of the TARDIS disappeared. Three Daleks moved in and began to spread out. The lead Dalek paused. _"SEARCH FOR ANY LIFEFORMS. SEEK. LOCATE. EXTERMINATE THEM!"_ _"WE OBEY!"_ chorused the other two.

Moving through the facility they found nothing. As they got to the control room, their luck ran out. A barrage of three badly aimed concussion missiles launched from a nearby Dalek ship had been drawn in by the magnetic field and redirected right towards the planetoid. They struck one after the other in rapid succession, punching through the unprotected facility's shell and exploding right in the control room. The blast obliterated all three Daleks and began a chain reaction which would in a matter of moments tear the planetoid asunder.

Curristan and his TARDIS however was safe and monitoring out of range. He watched as the fragile planetoid was cracked like an egg, its debris thrown into the battle zone. The participants would now be showered by a mass of rock fragments, some a kilometre wide. Using this as a convenient cover for escape, Curristan dematerialised the TARDIS and fled into the Time Vortex.

On board the TARDIS Curristan breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that it had been a close call. However without warning there came a message on the communication circuit from someone he thought he wouldn't hear for a while yet.

" _Curristan this is Romana. I need you to return to Gallifrey immediately. I hope you can come as soon as possible. I wouldnt recall you if this wasnt an emergency. Please hurry!"_

Curristan looked at the communication module in astonishment. _"Oh my. I wonder what she needs me for."_

Nodding in determination, he moved to the navigation panel and began imputing the data needed. _"Co-ordinates ten zero eleven zero zero by zero two from Galactic Zero Centre."_ he recited out loud.

" _Gallifrey here I come..."_


	5. A Favour For a Friend

Curristan was deep in thought as he waited for the TARDIS to arrive back on Gallifrey. It must be serious if he had been recalled from what was an important mission. But he would not let Romana down by not responding. There seemed to be no relation to the Time War, so Curristan had suspicions it was a personal problem. However Romana was taking a big risk pulling him back. _"Well we shall soon see what is happening."_

 **Gallifrey**

Romana sat in her office at the Celestial Intervention Agency, looking through her files when her communication console came to life:

" _Co-Ordinator Romana you wanted me to inform you when Curristan's TARDIS arrived back on Gallifrey?"_

" _Ah yes Narvin thank you very much. Please send him to see as soon as you meet up with him."_

Terminating the connection she sighed. It was something that was pressing and she hated to drag Curristan back home while he should have been still out. But she didn't know who else she could trust. As she contemplated this, her door buzzer chimed signifying Curristan's arrival. She pressed a button and spoke:

" _You can come in Curristan."_

As he entered Curristan noticed Romana's worried facial expressions. He was right to have responded quickly. He had rushed to the Celestial Intelligence Agency area immediately after arriving, being met surprisingly by Narvin who had set him on. He sat as Romana indicated for him to sit.

"Thank you Curristan for coming as soon as you could. How has your mission been?"

"Thank you Romana, I am always here to assist a friend. Well I have had some success, I have managed to prevent three of our abandoned facilities from falling into Dalek hands, with some data retrieved." He then handed over two data disks with the information had had obtained. "I hope that the data is still intact."

" _I will get our best slicers onto it. Now the reason I brought you back. I need your help in dealing with a dangerous mission on the planet Calfraxis circa year Three Thousand, Four Hundred and Twelve. The planet is a Human Colony World I have visited myself with the Doctor. There are rumours Dalek sleeper cells on the planet waiting for the right time to aid an invasion. The Time War must not come to Calfraxis." She leaned over and handed over an infostamp._

" _I understand. I have a feeling this will be a difficult mission. However I will do my best to protect the colony. What are my orders if the Daleks do launch a full scale invasion?"_

Romana thought for a moment before deciding on a course of action. _"If they do invade get out of there and do not engage the Daleks directly. If a battlefleet does arrive you will be no match for its firepower. This mission is Priority One. It takes precedence over your other assigned mission. If you manage to pull this off I will send you on similar missions to safeguard other worlds."_

Curristan nodded in agreement. _"I can agree with you on that. I will do my best to ascertain the situation and hopefully stop the Dalek sleeper agents."_

" _Thanks Curristan. I will see you once you are done. Please don't get killed, you are one of my best agents and a close friend I cant bear to lose."_

" _Thanks Romana, you are a great friend. I promise to return safe."_

Returning to his TARDIS, Curristan placed the infostamp into a slot on the console. The information contained on it would be fed into the Data-Banks. This included the spatial co-ordinates of the planet Calfraxis and details on its population and current defences at the time specified. It took several minutes for Curristan to work through it, before inputting the time and spatial co-ordinates into the Navigation Computer. Taking a deep breath he pulled the Helmic Regulator, the sounds of dematerialisation echoing as it departed once again from Gallifrey.

As the TARDIS hurtled through the Time Vortex, there were little precious things to do but wait. Curristan was occupied in his thoughts. He had a bad feeling about this mission. For some reason he had a feeling that the Daleks had more than just sleeper cells on the planet. But he would first check things out before making any decisions on how to act. His musings were however interrupted as the sounds of the TARDIS materialising filled the console room

 **Human Colony Planet Calfraxis**

 **7455AD**

In the market sector of the Colony City Jalenpa it was around mid morning and people were going about their daily business. People were suddenly startled as the TARDIS materialised next to the fountain. A local official had been summoned along with a small armed escort. As Curristan came out he immediately spoke and the armed soldiers aimed their weapons at him. _"Hello stranger I am Falan Kadian a Calfraxis Supreme Council Member. Who are you and what are you doing here?"_

Curristan immediately raised his hands to appear non threatening before replying. _"My name is Curristan of the Celestial Intervention Agency and I have come on behalf of the Time Lords of Gallifrey. There are reports that there are Dalek sleeper agents on this world and I am here to either prove or disprove the rumours. If they are true I am to give all help needed to prevent a Dalek occupation."_

Curristan's words immediately prompted Falan Kadian to order the armed men to lower their weapons. Swallowing in some fear he nodded. _"Ah well I am glad that you have arrived. We have heard rumours of this Time War and I would like to prevent it coming to Calfraxis. We will give you all the necessary information to help us prepare contingency plans and look for any Dalek sleeper agents here."_ Please follow me.

After making their way to the Government Sector, he and Falan were given an appointment with the planet's Overseer Barin Jastek. There Curristan was to liaise with him and work out a suitable plan to help. Overseer Barin Jastek's response to Curristan's reason for being on Calfraxis had been one of predictably fear. He had no way at his disposal military wise to repeal a Dalek invasion, so he was grateful that Curristan had visited.

Curristan moved to placate his fears though. _"Well Overseer Jastek the Celestial Intervention Agency has had some suspicions due to intelligence we have collected from various sources. I am here only in an intelligence gathering capacity but I will do what I can to protect your world. I know you have no weapons capable of defeating Daleks but I can hopefully modify what you do have to give you at least a fighting chance against them."_

Jestak nodded in relief. _"That is understandable. Only one man can do so much after all. I will put all our resources at your disposal. Do what you can to deal with any subversive elements on my planet. I fear though for the future. We do have some large mineral deposits here especially on the uninhabited Galaron Continent. Dalek attempts to cut or even take over these resources would spell the end of the colony here. We have some vessels but not enough to take the three billion inhabitants we have here."_

" _I cant promise anything about the Time Lords coming to help by sending TARDISes, but I can try at least. The priority first is to assess whether a threat exists before we create un-necessary panic. We don't want to create fear when there is no need to. The Daleks do enough of that as it is by themselves. I will now return to my TARDIS to scan the area around the planet to see if any ships have arrived. I will return as soon as I can with the results of what I find."_

The meeting then broke up, with Curristan returning to the TARDIS for the time being. He had as he travelled back gone over many potential scenarios in his head, making sure he could account for as many as possible. Performing some temporal scans he had detected something that chilled his hearts. He could detect at least two Dalek fleets converging on the system, with at least a hundred vessels in each fleet. Also he could detect that the planet's long range subspace transmitters were being jammed and a blockade was in the process of being formed to prevent escape.

" _The reports of potential invasions were now no longer rumours it seems. The Daleks must want this world badly if they have brought an attack force of this size."_ Curristan mused. _"I hope that they can't detect me doing a quick jump to the Government Sector via their own temporal scans."_ Setting the TARDIS in motion he began thinking up plans to deal with these new developments.

Quickly moving back to Overseer Jastek's office and materialising in his office he informed him of the new situation, making attempts to placate his new fears. _"Overseer there is no point in panicking. The Dalek fleet is already approaching we must evacuate the planet as fast as possible without them realising the population is escaping. Time is of the essence. If you have any fast vessels please use them to get the families off first and deploy your military garrison in any fortification. Engaging the Daleks directly would be suicide."_

" _I will do as you advise. I hope we can hold out for as long as possible. With our communications being jammed we will have no choice but to concentrate on evacuating."_ Overseer Jastek put his head in his hands and began to shake in fear _. "I didn't expect anything like this to happen at all during my time as Overseer, but I am ready to deal with whatever is coming. Good or bad, we have to deal with what we have coming. Nothing else we can do to sort the situation now can I? We didn't even get to prevent it."_

Suddenly a huge explosion rocked the city shaking the foundations of the Government Sector. Screams began to echo as the buildings around them began to be hit by what was certain to be Dalek orbital bombardment fire from ships stationed above the planet. Curristan groaned in annoyance. _"Great here come the Daleks. The planet is completely unprepared for this relentless assault and I have no idea how I am going to salvage this situation. I have no plans and no weapons. Now what do I do..."_


	6. Shattered Illusions

The Calfraxis Capital Jalenpa was now burning as the Dalek attack on the planet began. Ten minutes into the assault many civilians were dead and most of the Government Sector had been levelled. Curristan had led Overseer Jastek out towards his bunker. _"Nearly there Overseer. Keep down and keep quiet please, we need to stay undetected."_

 _Suddenly without warning a Dalek voice cut through the air. "EXTERMINATE"!_

 **ZZZZZZZZZP**

" _ARRRGH!"_ Overseer Jastek dropped to the ground in agony as the Gunstick shot hit him head on, the Dalek who fired it somehow missing Curristan completely. _"Oh no. I didn't even see that coming. Well, looks like I have to do this by myself. Not that I even thought I could really save him.."_ Moving on quickly he began a game of cat and mouse with recently landed Dalek patrols. He knew he stood no chance and if he was caught and they found out he was a Time Lord, he would be exterminated without mercy.

After what had seemed hours he made it to what looked like to be an underground transit system. Ducking inside he noticed that for now this area was at least still intact. _"Hmm. I cant use the TARDIS it will be detected immediately. I need a more secret approach. Somehow this system has survived the attacks which is good for me. I am sure to get there quicker than if I tried to do it on foot or commandeered a scout ship."_ Getting into one of the pods he quickly set off for the Galaron Continent where he knew the Daleks were interested in.

As he sped through the tunnels, Curristan was deep in thought. _"This is more than just Daleks invading. Looks like where I am going is somewhere important strategically for them. I have to get there quickly and with this transit pod I will certainly do that. I am sure that soon I will figure out why there are here. Romana has sent me here for a reason and I will find out why. I have no idea how I am going to achieve success here but I will definitely try my hardest. "_

 **Galaron Continent**

Arriving at his destination at the other end of the transit system Curristan scanned the area with his Sonic Screwdriver. _"Hmm looks like there are some Dalek drones here, plus there are ultrasonic vibrations which point to digging. The plot thickens."_ Walking further on, he could suddenly see the massive digging equipment on the horizon with Dalek saucers above. The area was completely blazing orange and filled with acrid smoke as the countryside continued to burn. The whole world was burning, completely scorched by the Dalek assault. It was a very upsetting scene and slowly Curristan was losing his illusions over the Time War.

 **Four Hours later**

He had finally made it to the edge of the area the Daleks were digging in. Trying to avoid the scanning probes which protected the area had been tiring work, delaying his approach. But he had managed to remain undetected and now he had made it into position. Scanning the immediate vicinity with his digital binoculars he was shocked to see what was happening. Work camps had sprung up around the area, with seemingly thousands in just this one area working for the Daleks.

" _This is monstrous. Now I know how The Doctor can feel about them. I must defeat them despite the odds stacked against me. I wont allow them to get away with it. The planet is now doomed so bets are off. Sacrificing this planet to stop them may be the only way. If its a Time Lord weapon then I will use it if it means the Daleks lose."_

Suddenly he could hear a whirring and he ducked behind a rock. Peaking out from his hiding place, he spotted a Gatling Laser Turret. _"Oh great I hate these things. These things can see the tiniest of movement and if I get this wrong I will be vaporised..."_ Quickly adjusting his Sonic Screwdriver he pointed it at the turret and activated it. The turret immediately began to beep before finally exploding as its circuits overloaded. Immediately he ran past it as the security alarms began to go off.

In the headquarters centre the alarms had triggered an immediate panic.

" _EMERGENCY, PERIMETER BREACH. TURRET NON FUNCTIONAL. SEND SQUAD TO INVESTIGATE!"_

" _I OBEY!"_

Within moments two Daleks were sent out to investigate. Curristan had just made it into some semblance of cover as the two Daleks approached. Luckily he was in a position where their sensors could not detect him. Letting them go past, he continued inward towards the centre where the digging equipment controls would be. He hoped that he would be able to overload them and stop the mining operation for good. However he sadly would not be able to save the population, which had been only in a matter of a day severely decimated.

Throughout the planet, the entire surface now could be seen from orbit as a smoke filled hell and its waters now polluted with sulphur. Debris was being ejected from the surface into the atmosphere, some of it caused by colossal explosions by the orbital bombardment. The world which had been a vibrant trading world was now being slowly torn apart, with Curristan now trapped and alone on the surface.

Curristan had been now on Calfraxis a whole day since the start of the Dalek assault on the planet. He was the only one who still managed to move freely and even that was still a precarious existence. He had managed to penetrate to within sight of the turret control centre which he had been tracking using the Sonic Screwdriver. Its use had somehow been swamped by the massive signatures from the Dalek equipment that had been brought to the surface. This had been a lucky break, allowing a pretty much flawless approach to his objective.

There was no cause to celebrate though. His task was going to be one that had no hope of rescuing the slave workers who were being held by the Daleks. The main objective now was to destroy the Daleks on the surface and above at all costs. _"The population is sadly doomed anyway..."_ Curristan sadly thought to himself. As he arrived at the turret control centre he took a quick look inside.

" _Oh this is a good break, its somehow unguarded. This is going to be great."_ Approaching the main control panel he quickly began to fiddle with the targeting system, reprogramming the turrets to target only bio scans that match Daleks. _"Well this will even the odds a bit"_. Pressing a switch on the console he ducked as every turret in that compound suddenly swivelled round and opened fire.

Suddenly the screams of Daleks filled the air punctuated by explosions as a criss crossing of laser fire ripped through the area. Within a couple of minutes most of the Daleks were destroyed and the way wide open to the main digging site. Peeking out at the carnage around him, Curristan felt a wave of satisfaction. The workers could now make a bid for freedom and find any still working vessels to hopefully escape. His spirits renewed, he quickly made his way towards his objective.

The remaining Daleks meanwhile were now on edge with many of their brethren now lying wrecked and unable to respond. They also had to deal with a prisoner escape without any help to stop it. Their plan was falling behind schedule.

" _EMERGENCY! WE HAVE LOST SEVENTY NINE UNITS TO TURRET FIRE. LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE SABOTAGED THE CONTROL CENTRE. WE MUST PROTECT OUR DIGGING AT ALL COSTS!"_

" _WE ARE NO CLOSER TO OUR OBJECTIVE! WE MUST NOT FAIL! WE ARE SUPERIOR!"_

" _CALL FOR REINFORCEMENTS, SEARCH THE AREA FOR INTRUDERS!"_

" _I OBEY!"_

Curristan had in the confusion reached the dig site. _"Whoa this is huge. I need to disable that equipment or break in through some hidden door or something. Great, more time wasting."_ Approaching a nearby cliff face close to one of the diggers, he suddenly spotted a shimmer in the rock. Looking at it curiously, he aimed his Sonic Screwdriver at it and scanned for any electronic signatures. _"Ahhh looks like a perception filter over a hidden door. Looks like I found the entrance. Daleks wouldn't of been able to see it."_

Finding a door control console right of the door itself, he began to employ his hacking skills on trying to override the panel and gain access. It seemed that the door was using similar security protocols to what he had encountered in the Narega System. Therefore it wasn't much trouble for Curristan to penetrate and after a few moments the door slid open with a groan. Passing through, Curristan moved into a room and corridor which seemed to be well lit and had familiar symbols on the walls. _"Looks like this is a Time Lord repository of some kind. I have a feeling this is what the Daleks want."_ He quickly turned round and resealed the door, breaking the circuitry with the Sonic Screwdriver to prevent any Dalek trying to override the door controls to get in.

Moving through the facility, he realised that it was abandoned. There was still power, but it looked like the scientists and soldiers who had been here had transmatted or used a TARDIS to escape when the Dalek assault on the planet had began. Somehow though he had a feeling that what they were protecting was still here. He had seen some intelligence reports on some of these type of facilities. They were usually outfitted with no weapons and defensive measures like perception filters and mind weapons to ensure they would not be detected.

As he approached the main laboratory door Curristan sighed. "Now lets see whats in here." He opened the door and as he caught the sight of something which he definitely knew the look of from a top secret intelligence report Romana had shared with him. _"Oh no that cannot be here. That has no reason to be here..."_


	7. Calfraxis Falls

" _This is the Black Heart. I cant believe its here and not on Gallifrey where it should be. It must have been deployed here to keep it hidden."_ Pausing a moment Curristan finally had a realisation. _"This is why I am here, this is what she wants me to do. I am supposed to recover it."_ He looked around in alarm as an explosion rocked the ground nearby. _"I have no idea what that was but maybe the Daleks are now desperate to find this facility now they know someone is working against them."_

Running to the Command Console he began to work quickly. "With the Daleks now desperate to get in I have no chance of being able to get this out. Maybe I should use it to destroy it and the Daleks..." He hesitated. "But if it does go off the whole planet will be sucked into a black hole made by the temporal tear that will result from the weapon's detonation. Everyone still on the planet will be killed as Calfraxis gets torn apart. I personally will have to leave before temporal force generated by the tear makes it impossible to leave." Nodding sadly in resignation that he had no choice, Curristan got to work preparing the Black Heart for detonation.

Meanwhile out on the surface the Dalek fleet had landed drop-ships and was basically reducing the surviving cities still not under occupation. The entire planet's population was slowly being reduced to nothing, which would leave the Daleks totally in control. But however there were signs of something not right. Anyone looking for theses signs would notice the subtle increase of temporal energy building underground as the Black Heart began to build up power.

Curristan finally sighed in resignation in what he had set in motion. The sound of humming as the Black Heart began to increase power filled the laboratory. _"Right that's now done, the Black Heart is now primed and ready. I have ten minutes to get back to my TARDIS so I can get away before the device finishes preliminary power build-up and begins detonation sequence."_ He then quickly worked to render the main console useless to prevent any tampering.

Up in orbit above the planet the temporal energy distortions were now reaching the Dalek fleet. This sudden increase was a shock to the Daleks as they realised something dangerous was now activated.

" _ALERT TEMPORAL DISTORTIONS DETECTED! DISTORTIONS AFFECTING OUR SENSORS AND TRANSMAT CAPABILITIES!"_

 _THIS MEANS TIME LORDS ARE ON THE SURFACE! SEEK. LOCATE. EXTERMINATE!"_

Dalek forces would immediately converge on the area, but due to the base being underground they would run into difficulties finding the source of the temporal energy which was now causing adverse effects to the planet's stability. They were fumbling around as below them the Black Heart was now only five minutes away from triggering and causing a major cataclysm.

Meanwhile Curristan had as fast as he could made his way towards the transmat room. His plan now to up a target location close to the TARDIS and transmat his way there without having to go through what was now a heavily Dalek infested area. _"Well I am so glad power is still running to these things. I don't want to deal with that lot up there. Ah that's the ticket. Now lets get back to the TARDIS, I have only a few minutes left."_ Activating the transmat he stepped in and vanished out of the facility.

Moments later he reappeared only a couple streets away from where he had left the TARDIS in the remains of the late Overseer Jastek's office. Hurrying quickly through the ruined area, he noted that he could feel the vibrations in the air from temporal distortions now effecting the planet. Within a couple minutes he had reached the TARDIS and bundled in. _"Now lets get out of here, one minute left."_

Moving as swiftly as he could on the console, he set the TARDIS in motion before exhaling with total relief at his luck at getting away. Gathering himself he set a course to just on the edge of the system. He had just got into position as he saw on the scanner a massive explosion from the Black Heart going into the detonation sequence. The first thing that showed the weapon had fired was the planet beginning to visibly distort as the heart of the explosion collapsed in on itself, ripping a hole in the fabric of space itself. Ten seconds afterwards the planet's crust began to fold in on itself as the core collapsed into the newly forming black hole.

Up at the Dalek fleet it was pandemonium. The entire combined Dalek fleet was now being pulled out of orbit and being dragged into the black hole with the planet. The new gravitational forces being exerted meant any attempt to warp out of system was negated by the overwhelming pull. Within a minute of the black hole forming, the surface of Calfraxis collapsed inwards. Every Dalek on the planet surface was annihilated in an instant along with every ship above.

Then suddenly Calfraxis had ceased to exist, with the black hole that had replaced it began to collapse inward. This was due to the temporal tear which had formed at the heart of the black hole in the epicentre of the detonation. It was pulling matter through it and into the Time Vortex itself like an open wound in space. Sadly most of its population had been still on world when the calamity occurred, though they would have been dead anyway, that's how Curristan was rationalising it. However he wasn't sure how many had got away.

Monitoring for any communications, he realised that the entire Dalek invasion force was now gone. Despite the destruction of the planet, his mission had technically been a success. The weapon was now no longer a concern and the Dalek attempt to capture it had been foiled. However deep down he knew that the cost in civilian casualties was high. It was too late now. He had to return to Gallifrey and inform Romana of everything. Plus also get some answers.

 **Gallifrey**

As he had left the remains of the Calfraxis System Romana sat in her office with a sombre expression. She had heard about the Dalek invasion of Calfraxis but had been prevented by the High Council from interfering. However she had informed them and the War Council of Curristan going to the planet, something she had taken full responsibility for. The War Council had been afterwards ordered to surrender all details of the weapon facility on the planet

They had then been monitoring the weapons facility when they had seen Curristan arrive. His choice of detonating the Black Heart on the world had been something they knew was inevitable and they knew that he had no choice given the situation he was in. However Romana was still concerned for his mental state after such a choice and awaited him to arrive. She knew he would have questions.

 **Nine Hours Relative Later**

Curristan walked into the Celestial Intervention Agency compound and was quickly ushered into Romana's office. As he came in she drew him in for a hug which he warmly reciprocated. After a brief silence Romana indicated him to take a seat then spoke. _"Welcome back. The War Council is very impressed on your handling of the situation on Calfraxis. They had been monitoring the weapons facility on that world as news of the Dalek invasion came in. They saw the difficult choice you had to make to use the Black Heart. Despite the system now gone and a temporal tear now in its place, the Daleks were defeated. But that is nothing though compared to the cost in civilians killed."_

Curristan nodded. _"We will probably never knew how many inhabitants died in that assault. The entire planet in the end was burning, its once lush countrysides turned into massive pyres and its cities turned into rubble. The civilian population suffered terribly and I had no way of stopping them except using that. I had no choice and I am glad you all understand that."_

" _I know Curristan. But we now have to move on and continue this fight to avenge their loss. The Daleks have been stopped there but that's not going to be enough. I am sending you to another world this time on behalf of the War Council who requested you specifically after your actions on Calfraxis."_

" _What will I have to do?"_

"Your mission will be to recover an encrypted data slice from another threatened world called Karepta, this time in Barintal System. The War Council will give you all the necessary security access so your mission will be easier. This data slice has vital military secrets and it must be returned to Gallifrey. Intelligence does indicate the Daleks are building up to invade but we have Battle TARDISes being deployed to divert their attention and slow their invasion preparations down."

" _Tell the War Council I appreciate their assistance. They don't need to worry, I will take care of it. I admit facing the Daleks has stripped me of some illusions, but I am still me despite the stress I have been under."_

" _That's great to hear. I will give you some less demanding assignments I think when you return. Throwing you in at the deep end was not what I had in mind despite knowing how brutal this war will become."_

" _Haha that is okay. I was never going to think this would be easy. I want to help the war effort as best I can and I know being in the thick of it is where I will serve it best. I won't let you down."_

" _See you soon Curristan. Good luck."_

Curristan began his travel back to the TARDIS after a quick stop at the War Council and a meeting with General Trave to get details of Karepta. Gallifrey looked different now as he had left before the Time War had really got underway. Now he could see many officials and military personnel rushing around doing their duties, with the pressure of wartime measures in place. However he had more pressing concerns than observing what was happening.

Arriving back he quickly entered and made sure it was secure. Setting the controls for take off he paused as the time rotor started and the sounds of dematerialisation began. _"Lets see what is awaiting me this time..."_


	8. Unexpected Interaction

Karepta in the Barintal System had been established in 3427AD as an outpost by human settlers. Now one hundred and twenty six years later it was a thriving trading and farming planet with many links to nearby federation governments. The planet also like Calfraxis held a secret Time Lord facility. This one had been filled with top secret files which now lay at risk of Dalek capture. Curristan was again going to be cleaning up a mistake which threatened Time Lord security.

On board the TARDIS, Curristan sat eating a meal of one medium rare steak, chips and peas. He liked to cook human style when he had the time, this was as good time as any he had reasoned. This had been his first meal for eighteen relative hours and he had built up a good appetite avoiding the Daleks on Calfraxis. He knew that this would be another dangerous mission and he was determined this time to make a better job of this mission.

Finishing his meal, he returned to the console room. The flight had been free of incidents and he had been glad to relax after the stress he had been under due to the important nature of the past few missions. _"Alas time to return to the fray. This time I am going to materialise inside the facility if I can cause I have the access codes."_ After a couple tense minutes he had disabled the security forcefield which would prevent his TARDIS materialising.

After the TARDIS had made it inside, Curristan did a temporal scan just to be sure. To his relief there was nothing unusual happening. "Ah some good luck for a change. Lets hope it keeps up but I am not holding my breath." Stepping outside he noted that the mainframe computer was still active, but as last time there were no technicians around. _"Deja vu it seems. I wonder why this time they decided to leave."_

As he walked out into the corridor suddenly he heard a familiar sound. _"Is that another TARDIS? This is interesting I wonder who it is."_ As he rounded the corner, a 1963 Blue Police Box suddenly materialised in front of him. _"I didn't expect this, i wonder why the Doctor has come here? Well I can ask in a minute or so." Suddenly the doors swung inwards and the person stepped out. "Hello Doctor how are you doing?"_

The Doctor immediately spun round in surprise. _"Erm hello there I didn't expect anyone to be here. May I ask who you are?"_

" _Ah my name is Curristan. I work for Romana and the Celestial Intervention Agency. I have been sent here by her and the War Council to rescue a data disk of secrets and bring it to Gallifrey. I personally didn't expect anyone either. After Calfraxis I stopped believing anyone stayed in these sort of facilities."_

The Doctor grimaced. _"Ah I heard about that. Am sorry you had to make that choice. Been in those sort of tight spots before and I know you did all you could."_

" _Thanks Doctor. I am glad its you and not some pompous type who would demand me to do things."_

" _Ha I know what you mean. Well I am here because I detected temporal scans and I think now it must have been you scanning the facility in your TARDIS."_

" _Yes that is correct. I have become more careful and I don't just rush into things. Last time I did that I had two Daleks after me. I barely escaped but I learned. I know there is still a way to go though. But I wont follow the War Council blindly. I will only go until I cant stand it any more."_

 _The Doctor looking a bit concerned nodded in agreement. "Yes well at least you are honest, I am surprised you know what I look like. I have never seen you before."_

" _Yeah but I had seen you once before on Gallifrey when I was at the Academy. Romana had also described you to me and that you had cut your hair from when I last saw you then. I had hoped one day we would work together as Romana has said great things about you. She misses you a lot."_

" _Ah yes well, I have been busy trying to limit the collateral damage caused by this war. I wont fight but I will try to save as many as I can."_

" _I tried to the last time but it was too much. I wont give up though that is for certain. I hope I haven't waylaid you at all. I did try that too. Calfraxis was a complete hellhole. The Daleks in a few hours had laid the planet waste and I was left to sneak into the facility there. This mission has been much better. I am glad this time round I wont be dodging laser fire and getting dirty in muddy fields."_

The Doctor shook his head _"No it is fine. I didn't want to leave anyone here if there were anyone left. I too am glad I am not on a world about to have Dalek's visiting it." He paused for a moment before holding out his right hand. "Well its nice to have met you and I hope we meet again. Please send my regards to Romana and tell her I will visit as soon as I can."_

Curristan held out his right hand and shook the Doctor's. _"Its been an honour and I will convey your regards to her when I return to Gallifrey. Safe travels and see you later."_

The Doctor smiled before stepping back into his TARDIS. Moments later it began to dematerialise, leaving Curristan alone again. _"Hmm he looked a bit disheartened. I am not surprised. He must be running himself into the ground trying to save people from becoming victims. Well back to business. I think the main control centre seems to be this way."_

He then continued down the corridor checking every room before he finally came upon what he was looking for. The main control centre was deserted, with pieces of equipment still running. However he needed to get into the main network and get the disk he was told to retrieve. Laughing he commented _"So glad I will be able to do this the normal way without having to deal with security protocols. I need a break from stressful situations. Give me a task like this any day."_

He quickly made work of the security and then began to set up the console to download all the files on the network. He spent the next minute or so trying to locate a data disk. _"Great things are never in the place you want them to be_ " he grumbled. Finally locating one he placed it in the console. Setting it to download all files he sat down on the floor beside it and took a breather. He knew he had several minutes to spare, so he decided to make the most of the quiet atmosphere around him.

He began to muse what life will be like once the war is over. He knew that there was still many relative years to fight that was true, but he was curious about what would happen once the war was over. Maybe he would resign from the CIA and travel the universe like the Doctor? Or maybe try for a higher position in the CIA. The possibilities were endless. He even began to wonder if the war would cost him any regenerations. Or if he would even make it. Then the beeping of the console brought Curristan back to the present.

 _'Oh well a man can dream. I will find out eventually find out one way or another'_ he stated to himself. Removing the disk and placing it in his jacket he turned to leave. _'Wait I can't leave it like this. I should wipe the memory banks as the data is going to Gallifrey and the War Council anyway.'_ Deciding on that course of action he quickly set the console to wipe all information before disabling it with the Sonic Screwdriver. _'Right that's done. Time to go home once more."_

As he left Karepta he was very elated. He had managed to get in and do the job without a single loss of life to the local population. To him it was a welcome boost to his mood which had been depressed since Calfraxis. _'That at least went according to my hopes. Meeting the Doctor was a welcome bonus. Still I do wonder when he will finally be willing to join the fight. Anyway I have more important things to worry about. Gallifrey awaits.'_

With the TARDIS now heading back to Gallifrey, Curristan was now left with nothing to do. _'I feel I will benefit with some sleep now. I don't know when I will get another chance to rest. Got a few hours until I get back. I think I will after a short nap I will do some more modifications to my Sonic and then prepare for materialising back in the Capitol.'_ Happy with this course of action, he went to his room to get some well earned sleep.

Three hours later he was now in his workshop. The Sonic Screwdriver sat on the workbench, Curristan using a laser welder the internal components. After a few moments he disengaged it and placed it on the bench. _'Well at least I have put the remaining time after my nap to good use. The repairs and modifications are now complete. At least I will have a more efficient power cell for it so it doesn't need as much charging.'_

As he returned to the console room the TARDIS began to materialise in the Capitol. _'I wonder how this data will be of use to us. I hope they are grateful to me for this.'_ As the time rotor he hit on another thought. _'This will be a perfect time to do some more repairs. First to Romana though. She is probably already aware I am back.'_ Laughing, Curristan left the TARDIS.

Romana when she saw Curristan enter her office she saw he had a massive grin on his face. _"Hello again Romana. Miss me?"_


	9. A New Universe

" _Very funny."_ Romana scolded. She then burst out laughing. _"I am glad you got back okay though. It didn't take you long to complete the task."_

" _No it was very easy. Oh and by the way the Doctor sends his regards. He arrived at the facility shortly after I did . He said he detected my TARDIS doing a temporal scan. He looked tired and weary. He is doing his best to save people but its taking its toll."_

Romana shook startled. _"Wow really? I am surprised he turned up there. At least he hasn't become a casualty. I wish you had tried to convince him to at least visit Gallifrey if just for a short time. But then he wouldn't want to be away from saving people for long. Poor Doctor. I wonder how long he will be able to keep it up."_

" _It is a shame but maybe soon he will visit. I am glad that the data was in one piece and the world also. I couldn't of gone through that again so quickly after the last time. I fear this war is going to rip the universe apart. What I overheard about some battles while coming here was shocking. It seems like the universe is convulsing at all points due to this conflict."_

" _Well I will get it to the War Council once we are done here and they will deal with it. I agree with what you mean about the war tearing the universe apart know for certain this war is escalating and will threaten all reality. There are already temporal gaps in the universe and the new tear in the former Calfraxis System is one big example. We are monitoring it and so far we have sent a probe in. It discovered the tear leads into to an alternate universe. We might send you through to see what is there. We are also in the process of deploying a garrison undetected on a nearby uninhabited planet to protect the tear from potential Dalek incursions. If they discover it I know for sure they will use it to invade other universes."_

" _Those security measures are definitely appropriate. I do feel responsible so its fitting that I am the one to investigate where the tear goes. I have a feeling it could be a mirror of sorts to ours but I wont know until I get there. I hope my TARDIS can navigate through it safely."_

" _I have utmost confidence you can navigate through successfully"_ Romana interrupted. _"You passed your exam at the Academy first time with high scores so there is no doubting your skill with piloting a TARDIS. I need your help. The War Council wants to know what's on the other side for sure. They don't want to risk Daleks invading the multiverse. That would be disaster."_

" _I agree. This is a very important mission that I wont take lightly. Huh, seems I am going on all the important ones lately haha."_

" _Very much so. I know you can handle it that's why I put you forward for them. I know when the going gets tough you fight back and sort the situation once and for all. You need to be more confident in yourself."_

" _I will definitely get as much information as I can get from that universe. Maybe its isolated enough to be a potential hiding place away from the Time War for refugees. I don't know, need to first see what's there. Well I had better get going, time is short and I know you want a report as soon as possible."_

" _Thank you Curristan. I can definitely rely on you. I should say soon we will be creating time locks to help protect allied Temporal Powers. Still, I know that your mission will be revealing very interesting secrets of that universe. I suggest going to that universe's Earth so to get a decent idea on the timeline in that universe."_

" _That's a great idea. At least we can then get some contacts and establish some friendships. I will see what I can do. I might stay a linear time month and then report back to Gallifrey with the results. I will also be glad truthfully to get away from the Time War even for just that short time, it will do my mind some good and also focus my energies on other tasks.!_

" _Yes I would agree. Now I think it's best you get going. I think that this is a priority that despite being not connected to the war. I hope that we can make the mission worth it. I know that you will do well, you have already proven it. Now see you later and good luck!_

Dipping his head Curristan exited the room. Romana sighed in resignation. Curristan was going to be a big loss to the war effort while he explored the alternate universe. She knew that his efforts being directed there was more important, but she knew that this opportunity to scout boltholes outside the main universe couldn't be lost.

Curristan felt nervous. Despite his confidence in his piloting this would be a new experience. Flying through a dimensional tear is definitely one to tick off a bucket list if he had one. Information about the current state of the tear and the system itself had been given to him, allowing him to begin formulating a flight path. The journey was expected to be quite dangerous, though the information given had stated the journey once through the tear would be pretty much a normal flight. That had least, calmed his nerves.

" _Right then, lets get this going. I hope what I find there is worth all this hassle.."_ Setting the TARDIS in motion, he began to input the course in his navigational computer. The local Time Lord garrison stationed protecting the tear had been sent word of his presence, preventing any potential mishaps. The area was of strategic significance and the War Council had began to take special interest in it.

 **Ten Hours Relative later**

The TARDIS approached the tear, with Curristan preparing a sudden boost through the event horizon once gravitational forces had equalised. This was so they could cross without getting caught and destroyed by the massive temporal distortions. Luckily a Type 70 TARDIS could pass through a temporal distortion easier than earlier models so the risk was quite low. He watched the Main Console Monitor like a hawk, waiting for the right moment to make the manoeuvre. The timing had to be right or he risked damaging the Outer Plasmic Shell.

Finally he pressed the controls, causing the TARDIS to leap forward rapidly. Within a few seconds it had crossed over, the event marked by the sudden halt of the buffeting temporal wakes. Sighing in relief he began to set a new course for this universe's Earth. He noted that the universe he was now in was pretty much similar, except there were no heightened temporal distortions present. Plus of course there was no Time War. It seemed peaceful almost.

Coming into orbit, the TARDIS had started to detect heightened radiation levels. Checking the rest of the console instruments he realised that the Earth had suffered a massive nuclear exchange, with massively lower level of life signs below. The date he had arrived at was 16th May 2272. After a couple minutes scanning for a suitable landing zone, he chose to land at a settlement that seemed to be near what had been Washington DC.

Curristan had made sure he had operated the Chameleon Circuit just before materialisation so to avoid un-necessary attention. This had turned the TARDIS into a nondescript rock as it materialised a short distance to the settlement. _"Well it looks like this Earth has gone through its owns problems. I hope I can get some answers here. I will just have to avoid contact with the locals as they are probably aware of who comes here."_ He made one more radiation reading before taking some anti-radiation pills just to be sure.

Stepping out he could smell the decay that was present in the evening air. The surrounding area looked to be heavily damaged, with what looked like to be some sort of monorail track exhibiting several pieces missing. Curristan pulling out his Sonic Screwdriver and began a diagnostic scan. " _The damage is consistent with nuclear detonations. By the air quality it seems like the immediate effects are long over, but there is still some radiation present."_ Putting it back he moved towards the settlement.

Spotting a sign above the entrance he grinned in amusement. _"Megaton huh. Nice robot as well. Least it has decent programming which proves that there is at least some sort of scientific presence."_ As he entered he encountered several people, one person who he seemed to consider to be in charge of the settlement. Luckily he wore a T-shirt, Jeans and Combat Boots with a Grey Jacket which helped him blend in. He knew that if he didn't stick to a cover story people would become suspicious of him

He had managed to sell some scrap metal he had found and get some bottle caps which apparently seemed to be the currency now in this post apocalyptic world. This would be useful although there was only a small amount, probably enough to buy some refreshments. However he decided to keep a low profile, moving towards what looked like a restaurant of some sort called "The Brass Lantern".

Buying what was called a "Nuka Cola" he sat down and observed the people around him. He was however pretty unnerved by what looked like to be an atomic bomb sitting in a large pool of water nearby. The weird people around it made him even more nervous and he decided to move up into the higher levels. A settler did wish him a good morning which he returned, but nobody else was paying him much attention.

Approaching a bar called "Moriarty's Saloon" he went inside, noting the sparseness of it. He noticed what could be called a Zombie, but he then heard the term "Filthy Ghoul" spoken by the guy talking to him. Immediately acting Curristan stood up. _"Excuse me there is no need to treat him like that"_ putting menace into his voice. _"Okay okay no need to be like that"_ grumbled the guy, immediately moving to leave.

The Ghoul smiled. _"Hey thanks man. I'm Gob what's your name smoothskin. Want a drink?"_

" _Hey I am Curristan, just passing through. I don't like anyone insulting people on how they look. Yeah can I have a beer please. Trading over the last three days without finding a rest place has been difficult. Just going to rest up and will be out as soon as I am awake."_

Gob nodded in agreement. "Good luck man. Hope you don't you don't get jumped by raiders from the nearby Super Duper Mart. They will take any chance to get your stuff."

" _Thanks for warning me I will keep that in mind."_ As Gob moved off to deal with another customer, Curristan continued to sip his beer thoughtfully. He would continue his mission in the morning.


	10. Wasteland Wondering and Reports

As morning came Curristan got ready as soon as he could and ventured into the area surrounding Megaton. He had no real need to explore too deep due to rumours he had overheard about Washington DC being overrun by 'Super Mutants". That hadn't appealed to him at all. Also he had to make sure he stayed close to the TARDIS if he had to leave in a hurry. Romana had not been specific on what he needed to do so really he was just making things as he went along. Nothing changed there.

As he walked he pondered on what was to come once he returned to the main universe and the Time War. He hoped that he would make enough of a difference and things would work out. He knew however the conflict was going to get worse before any progress would be made. There was still much to be done and many would die before the conclusion would be reached. It just seemed pointless sometimes in his mind, but the Daleks could not be allowed to take over.

Then suddenly a familiar noise jolted him out of his thoughts. _'Damn alarm clock, I sometimes wish I hadn't made it now. Oh well at least I can sell it to a vendor here. A little interference in this universe wont hurt anyone'_ he mused. Walking a bit further he spotted a female vendor taking shelter in the ruins of a cafe just on the outskirts of Washington itself. Walking over to her he made a decision. _'Right time to at least gain some local knowledge'._

After a quick discussion and a handover of the alarm clock plus most of the equipment he had picked up, he headed back to Megaton. He had heard of someone who could get him to a place he had heard from a visiting mercenary, which he wanted to explore. 'Rivet City' as it was called was way to the south east and was too far to go without adequate information.

Entering 'Moriarty's Saloon' he looked around at the people who were filling the bar with the gentle sound of conversation. The person he needed to see was at the bar. He was wearing what looked to be basic armour and was conversing with Gob, who pointed Curristan out as he approached. Nodding as he walked over he sat down. _"Hey there I am Curristan. I was wondering if you can give me some info on what's been happening and if I can get to Rivet City safely"_

" _Hey I am Max, nice to meet ya. Well with the Brotherhood of Steel now managing to finally get patrols through the ruins, they seem to be able to sort the Super Mutants out and push them back. They have cleared a couple routes to go through and I am sure you will get there without too much trouble. If you have some caps I can give you a 10mm Pistol and ammo to take with you just in case."_

Rummaging through his left jacket pocket he pulled all his caps out. _"Here I have eighty caps is that enough for it?"_

" _Sure that's more than enough. Give me fifty and then you have some left for any consumables. I wont be like some and fleece you."_

"That's really appreciated. I hope you get to where you need to be okay."

Handing over the pistol and thirty bullets he smiled and then got up. "Thanks my friend. Good luck." He then turned and walked towards the door. Curristan after loading and holstering the pistol began to go over his mental plan. _'Well I get one chance at this. I will see what's there then immediately come back. No point taking the TARDIS as it will draw too much attention. Plus I have made a good cover story here and I don't intend to waste it. Its worked so far after all.'_

An hour later after some walking, he had reached the city limits itself and was slowly moving through the rubble. The broken buildings were a very stark reminder of what the Time War was, albeit in a smaller scale. Still, it was eerie to walk through what would have been a very busy city street. He could hear gunfire in the distance, but luckily he was in good cover and moving steadily. He knew however that the situation was still precarious in that any moment he could be ambushed from any direction.

Spotting three Super Mutants he immediately ducked down. _"Dammit trust me to run into one. I am not armed well enough to take one on let alone all three."_ Dropping down prone he then began to crawl forward, keeping his senses alert for anything approaching. Inching slowly along he would after several agonising minutes manage to escape behind a building and out of sight. Exhausted and needing a quick rest due to fright, Curristan stayed in position for ten minutes to catch his breath.

Arriving at Rivet City just as the sun was beginning to set, he marvelled at the rusty aircraft carrier which the city was based on. _"I admire the ingenuity of humans. They have managed to repurpose this and create a suitable place out of it. Its amazing."_ He noticed that many traders had been moving away from Rivet City as he had arrived, meaning that the market must of now closed. However he had time to rest, then he would do what he needed to do before heading back.

After a few hours rest Curristan went exploring around Rivet City. Although it was early morning, he still managed to learn a few things after interacting with some of the guards on duty. The history of the city was fascinating he thought, though he wondered how they were able to keep the power going. _'Maybe the generators still work'_ he thought.

Leaving after spending the rest of his caps on supplies, he began to move back towards Megaton. This time after going a slightly different way, he managed to get back in one piece. However he knew that he had to make sure he didn't take anything back with him, giving the gun and ammunition back could give someone else a chance to survive.

He would go to the store 'Craterside Supply' he would sell them before wondering around to find someone to give the one hundred and fifty six caps he had. The afternoon had turned to rainy so many people were now seeking shelter, with Curristan at 'The Brass Lantern'. He suddenly noticed a glum woman with blonde hair next to him. Taking a chance he got her attention before he asked _"Excuse me can I be of any help?"_

Her kind face now filling with hope she turned to him. _"Can you spare any caps as I am low on food and supplies,? I need to meet someone and I have nothing."_

Curristan grinned. _"Yeah I have some food here and a 10mm Pistol plus ammunition. Take it."_

" _Thank you Thank you!"_ She then without warning turned fully around, kissing him full on the mouth. Freezing in surprise, Curristan waited until she pulled away. He then handed her the items, blushing heavily.

Standing up she quickly checked her equipment before looking up again. Grinning seductively she whispered in his left ear _"I have to go now, take care and thanks again!"_

" _N-No problem, stay safe."_

Kissing him on his cheek, she then began walking away to the entrance, Curristan staring blankly at her departure. Waiting a few moments until she had left, Curristan then decided it was time to leave. He had been surprised at her actions, but it was understandable seeing as she had been at low water and giving up hope. But he wanted to get away from the stares he was getting, mostly out of jealousy.

After exiting Megaton he wandered back to the TARDIS. He needed to return to the main universe and get back to Gallifrey and report back. On the way he wondered what this discovery would mean. Granted they could use this universe as an emergency bolthole, but other than that the main focus would be the war. He had managed to get a break, but the time to rest was now over.

Entering the console room he sighed. _'Was fun but I am so glad to be back in here again. Felt weird to not sleep in the TARDIS...anyway enough wasting time I need to get out and away before people wonder what is going on.'_ He quickly got the TARDIS into flight, shedding his dirty clothes and boots to be decontaminated and a fresh identical set was put on. Quickly setting the navigational co-ordinates, he then decided to do a couple things while the TARDIS was journeying to Gallifrey.

Making his way to the study he began to write down in a notepad what he had managed to discover. He knew that the information he had was quite significant as the universe had probably never been found until he had made the time tear at Calfraxis using the Black Heart. The rupture had been so profound that it had seemed to anchor the two universes together with a temporal tunnel, allowing easy passage to and from each universe.

Another thing was the Earth he had found. It had been devastated by a nuclear holocaust, yet there were still a significant population where he had landed. This was a good thing as it meant this Earth could be a potential safe haven for any people or groups who needed to get away from the Time War. He could also use it if necessary though he probably would never want to.

Arriving back on Gallifrey Curristan was immediately summoned to the Celestial Intervention Agency Headquarters. Romana had been already waiting and as he came into her office she spoke:

"Curristan welcome back, I see you managed to get there and back no trouble?"

"Yes, it was very interesting. The tear at Calfraxis is a temporal bridge which anchors the other universe to ours, which makes it easy to send a TARDIS through. I managed to find the Earth of that universe and what I found was surprising." He stopped to let Romana process what he said.

Romana blinked as she realised the weight of Curristan's worlds. _"Wow there is now a way to cross between both universes easily? Wait what was surprising about the Earth of that universe? Had something happened?"_

" _You are perceptive as always. There had been a nuclear exchange and the entire planet was badly damaged. It has high radiation levels but they have reduced significantly from what would be expected. There is some civilisation and I did manage to find some in what was Washington in the former United States Eastern Coast. "_

" _At least the Human Race survives in some form, looks like apart from that it looks like that universe is the same. By the way, out of curiosity do you think there is a version of us out there in that universe?"_

" _Theoretically there could be. The fact that my presence there and my interactions caused no paradoxes proved there was at least a set Laws of Time there otherwise I would of experienced bad temporal anomalies. I was surprised I didn't get a visit from another TARDIS to check on me. If there is a Gallifrey out there, maybe that version of the Time Lords are even more disinclined to interfere. Or maybe they don't enforce the rules so strictly. Anyway we can look at that another time. I returned so to get back to the war."_

" _I understand. Thank you for doing that. I know that you want to do your part but I needed you to at least get away from the war even for a short time. I worry about you and as your friend I want to keep you from falling apart."_

" _I appreciate that. Its just the stakes have never been so high. I don't want the universe to have to deal with such monsters ever again. I won't rest properly until this war is over. Where do you want me to go next?"_


	11. A Candid Conversation

Inside the console room Curristan was deep in thought. He had been sent on another mission though he was only given a small briefing by Romana. He was to make sure that the undercover CIA agent on Halarkon was safe and was to bring him home to Gallifrey regardless of his situation. Halarkon was close to the front lines and Romana knew that Curristan was the only agent she trusted to do this assignment.

The TARDIS suddenly juddered to a halt followed by the customary ping signifying it had materialised. Activating the outside view monitor he noted that he had landed in a forest. _'Well at least the planet isn't a wasteland. I hope I can find the agent in all of this'_ he mused to himself. Checking the instruments he verified the atmospheric conditions. _'Air clear, temperature eighteen degrees Celsius, oxygen level very similar to Earth levels. Right its safe and no contaminants present.'_

Exiting the TARDIS he immediately was struck by the peaceful atmosphere he could feel. It seemed a million miles away from what he had been feeling during the Time War. If he could he would spend more time exploring. However the mission took priority. He knew that the Daleks had likely agents planted on the world and they could soon pave the way for a Dalek invasion.

In the distance however he could see that there was a well developed town ahead. Acting on a feeling that the agent was there Curristan quickly began to move towards it. He however kept an eye on his surroundings as he was still wary of any traps or sudden ambushes. He had learned the hard way that surprises could come any moment.

After twenty minutes or so walking, he finally arrived at the rendezvous point in the city square. There he could see a black haired man in local clothing who had glanced at him as he arrived. He slowly walked through the crowd and approached him. In a low voice he addressed the man. _"Good afternoon, Romana sends her regards. Its time to come home."_

The man looked up and nodded. _"Ah you must be Curristan. I am Polaron, Celestial Intervention Agency Deep Cover Unit. I know of you from Romana speaking of you. I am glad its you who has come to collect me. She had also mentioned she had something important for me to take care of on my return, though she wanted to tell me in person."_

" _That is definitely Romana alright, keeping her cards close to her chest. The time has come for me to go home. I know I can't do anything more here, the signs are the Daleks are soon to attack the planet and I have to get out because if I am captured I hold too many secrets they want. Anyway lets go."_

" _Okay my TARDIS is this way."_ Curristan with Polaron following began to walk back to the TARDIS. Back at the TARDIS Polaron was given use of the communication circuits to get a message to Celestial Intervention Agency that his mission on Halarkon was over. Curristan at the same time was making sure that the TARDIS had not been detected by the locals. The Chameleon Circuit still had teething issues due to a faulty circuit, but he knew he could get the relevant replacement parts back on Gallifrey.

As he waited, he watched as the information Polaron had given was now entered the data banks and being transmitted to Gallifrey. This intelligence was according to what he could hear, important to the war effort. He knew that his contribution to it was a major blow to the Daleks spy network on the planet. The setback would also be their strategic failure and would lure Dalek scout ships out into the open as they would need to monitor directly.

As Polaron finished his transmission, Curristan dematerialised the TARDIS. Making sure they were safely away, he checked the instruments. The scanner had detected several unknown signatures, which could be only Dalek scout vessels. That meant that they had probably detected the TARDIS arriving and then leaving the planet. The War Council would need to be informed Halarkon was soon to be attacked by a Dalek fleet.

While Polaron rested, Curristan pondered what he had meant in his comments about Romana. He knew everyone has their secrets, but he knew better to question her judgment since she was older and way more experienced in this sort of thing. He also knew that she trusted him enough to hand him a mission of this importance. His musing over, he continued to monitor the instruments as the flight towards Gallifrey continued.

Six linear hours later the TARDIS re materialised on Gallifrey. The agent was now safely back and Curristan's role in this mission was now over. However he would report to Romana immediately. She needed to know as soon as possible that the mission had been successful. He had hoped to get more info out of Polaron, but as he had suspected he knew that he would get nothing out of him. Shaking those thoughts out of his mind for now, he quickly made his way to the Celestial Intervention Agency Headquarters.

Romana was waiting for him when he arrived. After being let in he saw Romana was at her desk, with a large grin on her face. _"Well Curristan I was right to entrust you to that mission. I just got word that our agent has returned and the intelligence now in the hands of the War Council. Well done."_

She paused for a moment and her face then fell into a grim expression. _"However I have had news from Karn. It looks like the Doctor crash landed on the planet and it seems he has regenerated. The Sisterhood of Karn say that he is now a totally different person, though he faced his regeneration well. It seems that he now is willing to engage in the war now. I hope that he doesn't become consumed by it."_

" _Wow that is surprising news. I hope too that he doesn't lose sight of what he is. I hope I can see him on my travels. On a note on the mission by the way. The planet seemed to be pretty advanced but when I left I noticed some Dalek scout ships loitering nearby. It looks like the planet will soon be invaded."_

" _Ah that is troubling. I had a feeling the planet was threatened but I didn't expect the Daleks to target the planet now. Maybe they detected our agent and we pulled him out just in time?"_

" _Yeah I think we managed to pull off a rescue at the right time. It seems that there will soon be a fleet gathered with the intention of occupying the planet. I suggest informing the War Council as soon as you can. Secrecy be damned in this situation. Those people don't deserve to be murdered just for the planet's strategic value."_

" _Agreed. If we can send some Battle TARDISes then we can engage them in battle before they move to attack. Diverting their attention onto us will most definitely spare any threat of them to the planet. However we can only spare a small fleet as there are many other more important sectors to cover. We already lost many in skirmishes across the cosmos."_

" _Well I am sure that we can at least buy the planet time to evacuate to nearby colonies. Now what should I do next? I feel that this agent is important to you. I won't press though as I feel that its something personal."_

" _Yes it is. I can't tell you what the real reason was for his retrieval. However do know that what I am protecting is very important and one day you will understand. For now please trust me on this."_

 _"Of course. I don't want to pry into it if its something I should not know. As your friend, I will always be here to assist you if you need any help."_

" _I appreciate that, thank you."_

A small silence followed as Romana recomposed herself. She then leant forward and adopted a serious demeanour.

" _Now Curristan it's back to war business. I have a new assignment for you which is vital to the war effort. Your impressive skill at intelligence retrieval have been noticed by the War Council and they have asked me to give you this briefing. The mission is going to be situated on a front line world called Valatia. It has been furious fighting and there is a Celestial Intervention Agency outpost now under threat. You will be liaisoning with the Gallifreyan Military on the ground, who will assign you special forces to help you retrieve any data slices at this outpost. The Dalek invasion force is currently estimated to be three full battlefleets."_

" _I understand. What is the current state of our forces facing the Dalek invasion force?"_

" _As expected casualties are heavy, but the now one hundred and twenty thousand strong force we sent is still managing to hold the Daleks at bay. Once the outpost has been secured and the data retrieved, it will be destroyed. Then we will begin a phased withdrawal as these units are needed in a more vital sector. The planet has no real resources to speak of and the battle had been mainly a diversion to tie down Dalek resources and also protect this outpost."_

" _At least we can prevent these secrets from falling into enemy hands. I will do my outmost to make sure this mission is a success. We need to keep one step ahead of the Daleks."_

" _Exactly. Now off you go and I will keep you informed of any changes to the mission from the War Council or influenced by the tactical ground situation. Good luck."_


	12. Discovering a Mystery

It had been quite a rapid exit from Gallifrey due to the immediate urgency of the mission. Curristan had managed to resupply his stores before leaving, which was good as he had to requisition several parts he had needed to replace. Due to his Celestial Intervention Agency credentials he got priority. Now he was flying rapidly through the Vortex to the battlefield on Valatia

 **Valatia**

 **Fifth Segment of the Time War**

The TARDIS materialised as the sounds of battlefield echoed around it. Walking out Curristan could smell the decay and death in the air. He knew the battle had been going on for some time, with the area completely levelled in its entirety. Walking towards the command post he had been asked to visit he hoped that he wouldn't be swallowed up in the mud and explosions.

As he entered the officer in charge made himself known.

" _Welcome Curristan I am Commander Jalsan. We have been expecting you. Glad to see you have managed to make it."_

" _Thank you Commander Jalsan. I am happy to assist in any way possible. I hope you can help me get into this facility though. The contents are vital to the Celestial Intervention Agency and also the War Council."_

" _I understand. Well luckily the fighting has been pushed past that point since the last report we filed. However once you have done what you need to do we are leaving. I have orders for our next mission but first comes the withdrawal."_

" _Yes I understand."_

Commander Jalsan walking over to a console indicated its display.

" _Well as you can see on this map displayed here the front is currently in flux. The Daleks are constantly pushing us and we are going to lose the planet no matter what we do. I am trying to save as many men as I can, we are needed elsewhere and our strength needs to be maintained."_

" _I know, I am here to finish the job here and make sure the Daleks don't get what they want. All they will get is the planet and nothing else. Its ruined from what I have witnessed so far. I wouldn't want to stay here, what I read this was a beautiful planet pre invasion."_

" _Yes it was. We had a lot of good times here while we waited for the inevitable Dalek attack. Most of the people I knew and got on with are now gone. My best friend who went through the Academy is back on Gallifrey after his regeneration didn't go well. He will make it but he may suffer a bit through this incarnation. Luckily he still has eight left."_

" _That's good to hear. I am yet to regenerate, I am not looking forward to my first one to be honest. I just hope I am old and grey before it happens."_

" _I am sure you will be. I have heard lots of good things about your abilities and I am glad you are with us."_

Handing over a data pad, Commander Jalsan continued.

" _Well there is all the information you need. I hope you get there okay. Once you are done we can leave. I can say many are counting on you."_

" _Haha great if I didn't need any more pressure."_

"You can handle it. Good luck Curristan."

" _Thanks. Hold the line as best you can, I am counting on you to prevent the Daleks reaching me when they figure out what's happening. Especially when the facility blows up."_

Smiling Curristan turned and began to make his way to the facility. He had been feeling in his mind a sort of presence, which had triggered his suspicions. If it was what he thought, he would need to use his skill in piloting a TARDIS to get it back to Gallifrey.

 **Three Hours Later**

Approaching the facility he could feel the presence even more. It was even more potent at this close distance. He could now tell it was a TARDIS of some kind, but he needed to get in and get it at least to near his. He noted that laser fire damage marked the walls meaning the Daleks had attempted to get in, but they hadn't succeeded.

As he moved through the facility he could see that the inside had been untouched. After some searching through the maze of corridors, he found what he was looking for. Suddenly a female voice spoke inside his head, who he knew was the TARDIS Matrix Consciousness.

 _'Hello Time Lord. I see you have finally come to rescue me. I am Zoe, a Type 51 TARDIS. I am so glad you are here to get me home away from this doomed planet.'_

Curristan had listened with both shock and curiosity. He knew this was his first ever telepathic conversation with a TARDIS.

 _'Hello nice to meet you, I am Curristan. I have been asked to take you back as soon as possible. First I need to fly you near to mine so we get you away from the danger area. Then we can find a solution. Would like to ask if you have any.'_

 _'Ah yes, you could remote parallel me to your TARDIS. My navigational system is not working correctly and I think I would get lost in the Time Vortex if I did try to go it alone. They were working on me when the Dalek invasion happened.'_

 _'That's a great idea. Right lets do it now. We haven't got much time left.'_

Approaching a panel he immediately began the facility's self destruct sequence which was built into all facilities like this. That done he began a swift search for anything that could be of use to the War Council. After a few minutes of close searching he could find nothing, so he made his way back.

 _'Okay we can leave. May I go inside'_

 _'Certainly.'_

The doors suddenly opened of their own accord, allowing Curristan entrance.

As he entered he noted that the Console Room was a mess. However the console itself was spotless and looked in great condition. The design was pretty much the basic design, though it looked like some of the panels had received more modern upgrades.

After several seconds of accessing the controls he had successfully managed to get a lock on his TARDIS which was a great relief to him. He then with a degree of anxiety set the controls in motion, starting a dematerialisation.

Meanwhile the facility erupted in a gigantic explosion, which was immediately picked up by the Daleks. Sending a scout to see the disruption, they came to a pile of ruins. This was another major setback despite them about to win the overall battle.

" _WE HAVE FAILED, THE DEVICE IS IN TIME LORD HANDS!"_

" _NO MATTER, THE PLANET IS OURS, THE TIME LORDS ARE DEFEATED HERE!"_

" _ALL HAIL THE DALEKS!"_

" _ALL HAIL THE DALEKS!"_

On board Zoe, after a couple minutes waiting he heard the familiar sounds of materialisation.

 _'Well done Curristan. Now do the second part of the plan and we can leave as soon as you are ready.'_

Curristan nodded before again readjusting the controls, setting the navigational control to slave itself to his TARDIS. He knew that it carried a risk, but he knew his TARDIS's superior navigational system would easily handle it.

 _'Right that's done. Now wait a moment and I will get into mine and take you with me. I hope we speak again at some point in the future.'_

 _'I hope so too. Farewell Curristan.'_

 _'Farewell Zoe. Hope this goes well.'_

Emerging back into the open air he sighed. Now he knew his calculations would be put to the test. Quickly he jogged into the command post and made his way over to Commander Jelsan.

" _Commander I have what I needed and the facility is now ruins. The Daleks will know what has happened. Get out of here as soon as you can. Farewell."_

 _"Farewell Curristan. Safe journey back home. Hope I see home sometime soon. I miss it."_

With a final salute, Curristan ducked out and practically sprinted to his TARDIS.

Outside, the soldiers were packing their equipment. In surprise they watched as both TARDISes dematerialised simultaneously.

Inside his TARDIS Curristan breathed a sigh of relief. He had managed to get it right, which meant soon he would be back on Gallifrey with the other TARDIS. However he had many questions, but he knew who had the answers he needed...


	13. Balanxi Bedlam

The journey back to Gallifrey and the hand-off to the War Council of Zoe had been pretty uneventful. The questions had been circulating in his mind but he had been convinced the war effort was really a more pressing priority. He had been happy that the remote parallel had not failed, with the mission being a rousing success.

However there was more battles to win and more people to save.

 **Some time later**

 **Curristan's TARDIS**

The TARDIS's arrival back home was a blessed relief to Curristan. He had been feeling quite stressed after several major battles, but he had been fighting the Time War now for what he thought to be two hundred and fifty linear years or so. That experience had been a valuable tool to keep his sanity as the war seemed to plunge to new depths. He was also now beginning to age due to the stress of the war and looked at around fifty years old.

Sighing he checked his attire. _'Great it looks like that last battle ruined these clothes. Damn Daleks decided to use me for target practice.'_

Walking to the wardrobe he quickly divested himself of his ruined attire and pulled on identical fresh clothes. He liked the look and it was very practical for the work he did.

After doing so he set the coordinates to the next planet he was heading to. He had been given license to roam around the battlefields and lend assistance to ones he thought needed shoring up. As he would travel to his next destination, he would get some well needed sleep.

The planet Balanxi was a complete ruin. The battle here had lasted three continuous years and was now in stalemate. The Dalek invasion force seemed to be holding back and the Time Lord garrison was using the time to regroup. As he stepped out and saw what the surrounding area looked like, Curristan's face fell. 'Well this place looks like its seen some viciousness' he mused.

Making sure the TARDIS was secure, he began to move towards what he could see was the local command post. However he could also feel a somewhat familiar presence, but it had a sharper edge to it now. He for some reason though could not place it. He could hear though the sound of combat which was getting closer.

As he rounded a corner he could see a figure dealing with a Dalek which exploded in a fireball. Dropping the weapon it turned around, revealing him to be a man clad in a brown leather jacket and combat worn trousers. Then with a gravelly voice he spoke. _"Ah hello there. Sorry this Dalek was in the way and had to go. I think I know you from somewhere..."_

"Yes I think I know you too..." came Curristan's uncertain response.

Then suddenly a flash of recognition appeared on the man's face. _"Ah yes you are Curristan! We last met on_ _Karepta. Though you seemed to have grown a bit weary since our last meeting."_

That word immediately triggered Curristan's memory and finally he realised.

" _Doctor is that you? I am so glad to see you. Yes I am now starting to age. I reckon I still got at least a couple centuries left in this incarnation though"_

The man's face fell. _"I don't go by that name any more. I gave it up once I had to regenerate on Karn into a man who could fight in this war. However I will let you call me that, though I usually am called Renegade these days."_

He then laughed. _"Yes I am sure you do. I know that you will do your best to get through this no matter what."_

Curristan nodded. _"I understand. Romana is concerned about you, though I didn't expect to see you here on Balanxi. I am glad to have your help as I feel a little over my head despite being in this war since it started. Its been pretty much all I have done. No time yet to explore as much as you have."_

" _Ah yes Romana. I haven't seen her in a long time, not since my last incarnation and the Zagreus business. She is a great friend."_

" _I am sure one day you will return to Gallifrey. I need help learning what has been happening as I only just arrived here."_

The War Doctor looked out at the battlefields ahead of them. _"I think that the battle has already tipped in the Dalek's favour. We have been losing ground all the time and I fear that soon we will be having to defend Gallifrey itself."_

A troubled look crossed Curristan's face. _"I can agree with you on that. I have a feeling though this is more than just a battle. Otherwise you wouldn't be here at all."_

The War Doctor smiled. _"I am impressed by your intuition. Your reputation precedes you. Yes my goal is to stop the Dalek Time Strategist from finding something here. I know now with your help that he will fail. I hope not to confront the Daleks directly but get the device away from the planet as soon as possible."_

" _I understand. I am willing to do what I can to assist you."  
_

" _Thank you Curristan. I appreciate your assistance. Its been a while since a friend came to my aid. Lets go and get this done."_

He began to walk away and Curristan immediately followed.

After an hour of walking they came across a bunker. Curristan could feel that the area had recently been the site of fighting there. The lingering smell of ozone indicating discharged weapons still permeated the air. He immediately pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver to the War Doctor's surprise and began scanning. After a few seconds he checked the readings.

" _Hmm. Looks like this area has seen a lot of Dalek weapon fire. Also ours too. But somehow the Daleks didn't manage to get in at all. That's very strange seeing as they have fire superiority over our forces."_

The War Doctor grinned. _"I knew you had potential. That's a very good sonic there. We need to get inside and I have the access codes."_

Moving over to a panel he rapidly keyed in a sequence before the door opened with a grinding noise and hissing.

Stepping cautiously through the threshold they began to search for any signs of life in the bunker. Finding none in the first room they moved on, Curristan allowing the War Doctor to take the lead. They knew that there could be Daleks hiding inside, but they had to take the risk.

After a short search they found what they had been looking for. The main chamber was full of data cubes which Curristan looked at with interest,

"These contain vital Time Lord research data, which need to be kept from Dalek hands" came the voice of the War Doctor. " _You seem to have a good reputation with these sort of missions I have heard."_

Laughing Curristan replied _"Yes I have heard the gossip. However this seems more dangerous than usual. I feel that this is going to be a massive battle ahead of us. The war seems to be getting worse and worse as time goes out."_

" _I have to agree. The climax of the war is approaching. I can feel it. I will do all I can to make sure the Daleks are defeated."_

Suddenly without warning a voice they had hoped to not hear echoed through a nearby doorway:

" _HALT STAND STILL, TIME LORDS DETECTED!"_

Both stilled in horror before the War Doctor swiftly moved to seal the door. Curristan reacted almost a fraction after, moving towards the panel to activate the bunker security system. Immediately a countdown began, signifying the bunker would soon become a tomb.

Three Daleks behind the blast door began to fire at it with their gunsticks, though the War Doctor and Curristan were already sprinting for the entrance door before it sealed shut. Making it through, they heard the blast of a door coming inwards, just before the main door slammed shut. A couple seconds later the bunker seemed to collapse inward as the charges detonated, burying the three Daleks inside, along with the data cubes.

" _Well that is that"_ Curristan quipped.

The War Doctor laughed at the joke before he turned to Curristan.

" _Well its time I left and rejoined the war somewhere else. I am needed at a more important battlefield."_

" _Yes well, you be careful okay? I will return to Gallifrey and give my report. I hope this war ends soon and you can return home. Goodbye my friend and hope I see you again soon."_

" _Thank you, same here. Farewell."_

With another flicker of a smile the War Doctor walked away, Curristan watching until he had disappeared from sight.

 _'Well its time I now left. The sounds of battle are getting nearer and Dalek patrols will soon investigate the noise.'_

Turning to look at the ruined bunker one more time, Curristan sighed and began to make his way back to the TARDIS.


	14. A Needed Interlude

Arriving back at the TARDIS Curristan sighed wearily. The battle had taken much out of him, coupled with the fact that he was now becoming sick of the continuous conflict that he was taking part in. He knew that he needed to get away for some time. If he didn't he would be regenerating earlier than he would naturally due to the stress he was always under. He had estimated he was now around just past the mid point of his first incarnation, though he could really not be sure. He was also feeling a bit unsettled by the Doctor's current regeneration. His warlike persona was way apart from his previous incarnation who seemed to shun conflict.

 _'War changes us all, usually for the worse'_ he thought. _'I hope I don't become something I fear to be when all this is over. I want to keep my essence intact. I promise to not succumb to the madness all around me as this Time War accelerates out of control.'_

He was stirred from his internal musing by the chime of the console. It was a summons to Gallifrey. Usually he would obey it without question but now he seemed like he was hesitant to do so.

He had been disturbed lately by how the Time Lords were behaving and what they were turning into. The lack of regard for casualties and a win despite any cost was frightening him, with friends he knew now dead or no longer what they had been before. Everything and everyone seemed to be changing. He didn't like it and he hoped that soon things would come to a head and the war could end. Although he had no idea what that would mean. Even he was unsure of how he would be once the war was over.

Shaking his head to dispel the troubling thoughts, he turned his attention to fixing a new destination. Deciding on whim, he set the controls to Earth, 2018AD. He knew that disobeying was a first for him, but he decided to pretend that he had not yet received the summons and would delay for as long as possible.

 **19th May 2018**

 **Cheltenham, United Kingdom**

The materialisation of the TARDIS echoed down the street, breaking the sudden silence. Luckily due to the Chameleon Circuit taking the form of a clothes recycling box. Stepping out Curristan looked quickly around and saw a sign which said _'Clarence Street'_.

 _'Looks like I arrived in the middle of the town centre..luckily the circuit worked so no-one had seen the TARDIS arriving. Didn't really want to cause a scene.'_

Walking slowly down the street he looked in interest at the amount of shops around. This was his first trip to Earth and he could see why The Doctor was fond of the planet. He glanced at a clock and found that the time was close to ten am, meaning that the street was full of activity.

Then out of nowhere he realised he could see something laying beside a nearby skip. Walking quickly over to investigate he suddenly found it to be several ten pound notes which had somehow been lost the night before.

 _'Well at least I can get some supplies, I feel like I wont get any other chances once I have to actually answer that damn summons. Still it is a Saturday so I wonder if a drunk person dropped these last night. Oh well finders keepers...'_

After visiting some shops to get what I needed, way more though what he needed. Therefore carrying several bags he returned to the TARDIS.

Dropping them down in exhaustion, he cursed himself for going overboard with shopping. He knew however that he had no choice now but to return to Gallifrey. The short rest had been very much welcome, but now it was time to return to the fray...


	15. Momentous Events

The return to Gallifrey was for the first time for Curristan a sad and foreboding thing. The feeling he got was something momentous had happened, but for the moment he was unsure what that was. The problem was he had arrived chronologically several days behind schedule, which meant his arrival may be not welcome.

However as he made his way to the Celestial Intervention Agency headquarters, he stopped at a news point and the top news was the sudden disappearance of someone. However as he watched he had a startling revelation. The person is question was being named as Romana's daughter who was called Arcadia.

The revelation was also compounded by the fact Romana had been taken into custody as Arcadia had managed to steal a TARDIS and escape. He had a nagging feeling that something wasn't right though and he immediately went to the detention centre to get answers.

Arriving at the detention centre he flashed his Celestial Intervention Agency credentials which somehow meant he was immediately sent in. Grabbing the nearest person he found which knew, he gave a quick plea.

" _Please give me time to get her out. I have a feeling that this is personal which is not her."_

The man known to Curristan as Gryavin nodded in agreement. _"I agree, I will give you the time you need. I will get a path to the TARDIS bays using my contacts. You know you will become like the Doctor, a renegade and outcast over this?"_

" _I am fully aware of the consequences. However I won't allow this war to force me to abandon all decency and abandon a friend. I will get her out of this and try to give her a chance to reunite with her daughter. I think she has been trying to hint to me all this time but couldn't."_

After several moments he was in the room with Romana, her gaze betraying the fact she knew he would come to see her. However she was irritated Curristan saw.

" _What took you so long Curristan? I had hoped that you would had come back to Gallifrey sooner. Things have become very difficult."_

" _You could say that"_ Curristan quipped. _"You have the whole of the Capitol in an uproar. I am sure that soon you will have to endure a mind probe if I can't get you out."_

Romana looked in surprise. _"You are risking yourself to get me out? Well I am sure that you have questions I am sure."_

 _Sitting down opposite her, Curristan spoke. "Yes well I am sure that sending me to get that high sentient TARDIS called Zoe was the means you got her out? It was more than just a simple Type 51."_

" _Yes, I knew that Zoe existed but I needed someone who could retrieve her from the facility she was in without any problems. I knew you were the only one to pull it off. It seems Arcadia got out aboard her with no problem. Hopefully the bolthole in that parallel universe will keep her safe."_

As Romana sighed in both sadness and relief, Curristan looked on in stoic silence. Then after a few moments he asked the biggest question on his mind.

" _Who is her father? Why would the Time Lords want to search for her when they didn't care that I didnt come back when summoned?"_

Romana looked up with what Curristan could see was a fierce pride.

" _Her father...is The Doctor. A product of a brief affair which happened just after the Zagreus incident. Our shared relief in his escape from death brought to the surface feelings that had been simmering under the surface since we travelled together. The result was Arcadia. I am just glad I managed to give her a traditional childhood before all this happened."_

Curristan had listened to her in shock, but his mind easily understood the rationality of it all. Now he had to get her out as if they knew The Doctor was her father, she would be a perfect weapon for the Time War. He was glad she had managed to escape that fate.

" _I can understand Romana. Now I am getting you out. I am not staying either once you are gone. I need to escape all this madness. I feel that the end of the war is coming and I still don't know what the outcome will be. I owe it to you that I try and reunite you with Arcadia. I have help to get you to the TARDIS bays so we can get you out. I hope we can do it without having to resort to you regenerating so to prevent being recognized._

Romana's eyes shone with tears as she listened to Curristan explain his plan. She had been scared when she had been arrested, but she had now new hope.

"I agree. Now lets get out of here before the War Council representative arrives."

Pulling out his Sonic Screwdriver Curristan disabled the cuffs binding Romana's hands, before leading her out of the cell to where Gryavin was waiting.

Sneaking through the corridors had been to Curristan a real thrill. He knew that he was seeing the Capitol for what was really the final time. Romana was following close behind him while Gryavin was in the lead. They had managed to make it to the TARDIS bays without incident, with hen suddenly without warning staser fire erupted and they were forced to take cover.

Sneaking a peek at their two assailants Curristan inwardly cursed. _'Dammit here we go. I know that this is the Presidential Guard and their stasers are shoot to kill and have no stun setting. One hit and its going to be fatal and definitely a regeneration.'_

Suddenly a scream erupted from Romana. Curristan turned just to see a smoking hole in her abdomen. The anger bubbled up in him and he immediately took action.

Aiming his Sonic Screwdriver at them he activated an overload which fried the stasers and made them unable to fire. He then walked up to each one and brutally punched them both to the ground. Afterwards he rushed to a hyperventilating Romana who was now beginning to take on an ominous glow. Curristan with Gryavin's help carried her into a nearby Type 65 TARDIS and laid her down.

" _I will be fine, its time that I begin anew. Leave and flee yourself. Set the TARDIS to make a timed dematerialisation and then run."_

Curristan nodded before kissing her on her forehead. He then quickly moved around the console, setting a twenty second delay on dematerialisation. As he reached the door he looked back.

" _Goodbye Romana and hope we meet again soon."_

Romana using the last of her strength nodded and watched Curristan leave, the doors closing behind him. Her last thoughts before a massive explosion of regeneration energy was of Arcadia and the new beginning Curristan had given her.

Outside Curristan watched as the TARDIS dematerialised taking Romana with it. He knew that now Romana was also safe. That the responsibility was now his and The Doctor's wherever he was. Turning to Gryavin he quickly spoke.

" _Time for me to leave now my friend. I hope we meet again in the future. Just say that you failed to apprehend her in time and I was the one who made sure she escaped. Its best that way."_

Nodding Gryavin moved down the corridor to get assistance. Curristan however was now running in the opposite direction, within a full minute reaching his TARDIS and slamming the door behind him. Quickly working the controls he grinned to himself.

 _'Well it looks like I am emulating The Doctor after all''_ he chuckled to himself as the sound of dematerialisation filled the Console Room.

Curristan was now on his own...


	16. Jaunt on Zeldrax

Curristan was so angry. The Presidential Guard had shot Romana down in cold blood, even though she had been Co-Ordinator of the Celestial Intervention Agency. Even though she was safe and would regenerate, it wasn't the point. The events that had preceded Curristan's flight from Gallifrey had stoked a rage not felt before in him. He knew the Time War was far from over, but at the moment he couldn't even think straight.

A calming tune filled the air as the TARDIS tried to soothe him. Curristan smiled and patted the console affectionately, knowing that the TARDIS was trying to cheer him up.

" _Thank you dear friend. I am fine, truly I am. I just need time away to sort my mind out. However I feel things are reaching a climax in this damn Time War."_

The console beeped in response. Then suddenly it began to flash and the co-ordinates of a planet appeared on the main screen. Curristan looked at it in fascination. It seemed the TARDIS was trying to hint a destination.

" _Alright if that's where you are hinting to go lets go for it. Anything is better than moping in the Time Vortex."_

 **Zeldrax**

 **Year 762,453**

The TARDIS arrived on the planet, materialising into a clearing inside a woodland.

" _Hmm, the planet Zeldrax. Looks like Pre Industrial Age Earth in terms of atmosphere quality. Feels like a great place to visit."_

Pressing a button he activated the external scanner. Looking closely Curristan noted with happiness it's difference to the battlefields he had been moving through.

" _Thanks girl this is definitely a place to go. I need to stay here a while before having to face the inevitable."_

As he exited out the console beeped twice in affirmation. Closing the door behind him, he began to walk slowly into the trees, content to absorb the calming atmosphere.

After walking for several minutes he spotted something in the distance. Moving into a crouch he managed to get a better angle and found a settlement in the distance. However he wasn't feeling that social due to his underlying anger.

 _'Don't really want to annoy a potential future friend because I am upset...'_

He made sure that he kept out of sight, due to the planet's population probably still not had made contact with another species yet. He didn't want to really cause a paradox, especially on the current situation.

However after a while exploring he decided again to stop as he could see activity in the area was now increasing. He was within sight of the TARDIS which was in no chance of being discovered. He therefore decided to settle down in a bush where no-one could see him as well, he began to let his mind wander back into a memory.

 **Gallifrey**

 **Around 200 years ago (Curristan's Personal Timeline)**

Curristan had been busy making sure his coursework for the coming graduation and he was now making his way down a corridor near his quarters to get something to eat. Two voices suddenly broke through the silence which made him stop.

" _Well that was quite a serious mishap there. I am glad that all this is over" came a male voice._

" _Well Doctor I am glad too. Mishap is a very light word for what has just happened. I am surprised you aren't more affected by it, though I know how you can mask your feelings even from people who care about you. I was very worried about you. I hope we can spend some time together before you go on your travels again"_ replied a female voice what he realised was now Romana.

Sneaking a peek around the corner he could see a Victorian dressed man with curly brown hair which he surmised must be The Doctor. Romana was standing next to him, both with warm expressions on their faces. Then they both turned away, Romana leading and The Doctor following close behind.

Coming out of the memory Curristan knew that was the day Arcadia was possibly conceived. However his timeline was all over the place thanks to the Time War. In linear terms it was way more than the two hundred years or so in his personal timeline. I know Romana was now safe and probably now back with Arcadia. He now had to now help end the war so they could both return safely home.

As he re-entered the TARDIS an hour later he could see a message on the main screen. It read:

 _'To all Time Lords off-world of Gallifrey_

 _Gallifrey is now under siege by a major Dalek taskforce. The planet is now surrounded on all sides and all we ask that you return home to assist in defending our world.'_

Curristan grimaced. It looked like the endgame was now here and the climax of the Time War was at hand. Then came another message:

 _'I am going to home to finish this Time War for good. No More.'_

Curristan felt a chill go down his spine. The Doctor was heading to Gallifrey and what he now knew about him, this was going to be quite something. However he felt some feeling of safety now he knew that there would be someone who would make definitely a difference. However the situation was still very dangerous. Curristan wasn't going to miss this and do his bit.

Curristan immediately began to set the console ready to return to the current 'present' of the Time War around Gallifrey. Activating the Helmic Regulator, he had one thought:

 _'Okay, here we go...'_


	17. Endgame

Flying through the Time Vortex Curristan was preparing to jump into what would be a massive undertaking. He had noticed and had been called by his academy friends a spitting image of the Human Actor Clint Eastwood in his younger days. Now as he looked at himself in the mirror he was at, he could see to his frustration he now looked like him at the end of his acting career.

Despite the slow ageing process Time Lords experienced, Curristan was now in the final decade at most of his first incarnation and the stresses of the Time War hadn't been kind to him. He knew that any serious damage either physical or through any powerful mental attack could force his regeneration or could even kill him outright.

He had been very careful and had been very lucky compared to many. However he knew that things were not guaranteed and he approached every thing he encountered with a measure of caution. The storm he was about to enter was in his opinion to be the toughest thing he had ever done.

Arriving on Gallifrey in the deserts near Arcadia, Curristan immediately reconfigured the Chameleon Circuit to camouflage the TARDIS as a non descriptive rock. This was both to prevent detection by the Daleks above and even the Time Lords who were probably still tracking him.

Running a space scan he immediately realised the vast scale of what was going on above.

Curristan's mind raced. _'Wow this is a seriously dangerous situation, the worst probably in our history...I can detect multiple energy bursts coming from orbit and many impacts. Arcadia's sky trenches are breached...that's unbelievable...'_

Then suddenly the scanner beeped as it detected something else. Looking at the readout Curristan grinned.

 _'Looks like The Doctor is here too. I can see his TARDIS is in these wastes but not close. There is an unknown signature with him but I can't seem to pin on what it is, except it is leaking temporal energy waves...does he have a secret weapon?'_

Shaking his head he sat down. Many possibilities could result from what was occurring now. However he had to not dwell on anything and just react to what is happening. The situation was too serious to make mistakes now.

Exiting the TARDIS he began to make his way on foot slowly towards Arcadia which in the distance was burning. To any sensible person this was a suicidal course of action, but to Curristan it was just another day in the Time War. He had always seemed to be either heading towards where the action was or already right in the thick of the battle.

However as he walked he could feel his body wasn't feeling quite right. In the back of his mind he had a feeling it could be his first regeneration was closer than he realised. However with effort he shook the feeling off. He needed to complete this mission first before even entertaining that notion.

After several more minutes he came upon a military patrol. The officer in charge immediately recognized Curristan.

" _Hello there I am Section Leader Rallian. It must be bad if you have decided to return here after the stunt you pulled. We are about to roll into Arcadia and the word is The Doctor is already there and he must be also realising the situation is serious."_

Laughing Curristan retorted _"Well he and I knew that the War Council would screw up the defence if we weren't here to lend a hand. Sorry but Romana wont be back though."_

Rallian shrugged. _"I understand. I am glad I ran into you though. The Daleks broke through all four hundred of Arcadia's sky trenches. They are also bombarding Gallifrey from space with their remaining fleets, all the while moving towards the Capitol. Its becoming desperate and the War Council's contingency plans have failed."_

Nodding grimly Curristan glanced around. _"Well I am not surprised its gotten so bad. This is worse than some of the fiercest battles I have fought before this. I am ready to assist despite my body starting to weaken. I probably have one more good battle left in it."_

" _Well then lets get going. I know with you and The Doctor helping the defence of Gallifrey we wont fail. ALRIGHT MEN MOUNT UP ITS TIME TO MOVE OUT"_

All around the soldiers were now responding to the command and packing up. Their orders were to basically reinforce the defenders and help repel the Daleks. The order itself was one that was impossible to fulfil. However there was no other real thing to do except follow them. The sky was glowing a dark orange as the main star began to set, casting an eerie glow over the battlefield.

After around an hour of marching they reached Arcadia with Curristan among them. The defending soldiers who welcomed them looked tired and battle weary. They weren't even aware that they had new arrivals, more concerned with getting rest and respite. Medics moved among them, trying to give aid as much as they could.

Curristan moved to one side, allowing the soldiers he was with to move towards the battle zone. He knew it was pointless to follow, plus the fact that they were most certainly going to die as soon as they arrived at the front. The supply situation also seemed dire. Many crates littered the area, ammunition being passed out as quickly as it arrived.

Exchanging a parting salute with Rallian he moved away and took out his Sonic Screwdriver, scanning for any sign of The Doctor's TARDIS. Suddenly a huge explosion rocked the area, followed by the unmistakable sight of a Police Box rocketing into the air. Making his way over to where the TARDIS had come from he noticed something on a wall. It was a message reading _'NO MORE'._ The sight immediately made Curristan grin. ' _Looks like The Doctor has something to end the war for good.'_

Spotting danger he called for help. Several soldiers followed and opened fire on the three Daleks still operational. Grabbing a fallen rifle he began to fire upon the Daleks. The sudden onslaught took them by surprise and all three were taken down in a hail of fire.

Noticing the sudden arrival of further einforcements, he realised that around him were countless more wrecked Daleks. The sight filled him with grim satisfaction. It seemed that no matter how many they lost, the Daleks would keep coming. He hoped that whatever The Doctor had planned that he would do it soon. He would continue to help on the ground, though he would soon have to get back to the TARDIS.

 _'Well I think I should have a look around first. I need to avoid any major checkpoints as I am still technically wanted.'_

That thought made him chuckle. He would either get shot by his own side of the Daleks, though the odds in his opinion were on the Daleks. Ignoring that for a second, he continued to stroll through the friendly held ruins that somehow had yet to come under serious Dalek fire.

 **Two Hours Later**

Arriving back at the TARDIS, Curristan sighed in annoyance. The defenders in his opinion were doomed. He had seen many Bowships destroyed through massive tactical errors as they stupidly attacked the Dalek vessels head on. It seemed only a matter of time before Arcadia fell. However he had a hope that everything would work out.

Settling the controls for take-off, he sat down and closed his eyes. In his mind he could feel something in his subconscious, the brief flash of a young man with a cocky smile appeared before the image disappeared. Then suddenly he felt a sudden pain shoot through his body.

Then it vanished. Shaken he got to his feet and began to materialise the TARDIS in orbit just out of scanner range of the Dalek siege forces. Scanning Gallifreyan Military frequencies suddenly a message popped up saying _'GALLIFREY FALLS NO MORE'_. Then suddenly a young voice identifying as The Doctor crackled over the communication circuits, followed by another young voice and what he recognized as the War Doctor.

" _Just about ready to do it."_

 _"Ready to do what?"_

 _"We're going to freeze Gallifrey."_

 _"I'm sorry, what?"_

 _"Using our TARDISes, we're going to freeze Gallifrey in a single moment in time."_

 _"You know, like those stasis cubes? Single moment in time, held in a parallel pocket universe."_

 _"Except we're going to do it to a whole planet."_

 _"And all the people on it."_

 _"What? Even if that were possible, which it isn't, why would you do such a thing?"_

 _"Because the alternative is burning."_

 _"And I've seen that."_

 _"And I never want to see it again."_

" _We'd be lost in another universe. Frozen in a single moment. We'd have nothing."_

As he listened intently he became more and more amazed at what plan was being explained. Relocating Gallifrey to a pocket universe? Sounded impossible in Curristan's mind and he found he was agreeing with The General at the Military High Command. Then suddenly ten more TARDISes appeared and multiple voices erupted, with only one he recognized. Realising this was The Doctor's other incarnations he watched on the scanner in amazement.

The golden tracks he could see on the main scanner rocketed around the planet, making Curristan stare in amazement. Temporal Distortion warnings were being detected on the scanner screen, filling the console room with multiple sounds.

" _Do it, Doctor. Just do it. Do it!"  
"Okay. Gentlemen, we're ready. Geronimo!"  
"Allons-y!"  
"For god's sake. Gallifrey stands!"_

Then a sudden golden flash erupted as Gallifrey disappeared in a gigantic temporal explosion. The TARDIS was immediately buffeted by the shockwave, causing more warnings on the main scanner.

Falling to his knees, Curristan cringed at the psychic feedback which the telepathic circuits was receiving. Mentally he felt like he had been completely drained. Then on cue there was a sudden hum and golden energy began to swirl around his hands.

 _'Well it looks like this body has reached the end of it's rope. Its time for a new change.'_

Smiling he began to began to feel what he knew now to be regeneration energy erupting throughout his body. Breathing was now becoming painful as his now failing body began to take its final breaths.

Then suddenly his body began to spasm in extreme pain causing him to tense his body,

as a sudden roar followed by a torrent of raging golden energy erupted announcing the regeneration's start.

 _'Well here we go.'_

The torrent of golden energy began to pour off him for several seconds, before his features began to blur and he started to scream...


End file.
